


Hatsukoi (Tsukishima x Reader)

by Rainbend



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: A bit of OCCness, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, Hate to Love, Humor, Manga & Anime, Manga Spoilers, Reader-Insert, Sarcasm, Volleyball, tsukki being the salty french fries that he is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-05
Updated: 2018-01-26
Packaged: 2018-10-14 22:08:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 119,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10545150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rainbend/pseuds/Rainbend
Summary: (Name) is Ukai Keishin's younger sister, the coach of Karasuno's Boys' Volleyball Team. Just like her brother and the Karasuno boys, (name) eats, breathers and lives off the art of volleyball. After returning from Russia, where she spent some time studying aboard, (name) is asked to be the assistant coach for the Boys' Volleyball Team, which is how she meets Tsukishima Kei, the most irritating male on earth who never fails to make her life miserable.Everything about this guy makes (name) hate him, especially his mean and narcissistic personality, which ticks her off the most. At the same time, Tsukishima isn't  a huge fan of (name) either. They hate each other so much that being in the same room together could set off WW3. (Name) is certain that never in a million years will she ever like Tsukishima, or so she thinks. What (name) did not expect, of course, was to fall in love with him of all people, especially with him being her first love.Read as (name) helps the boys' team soar to greater heights and meet new interesting people long the way while she figures out her feelings for Tsukishima Kei. Maybe, just maybe, he might feel the same way, too.





	1. Part 1: Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there!  
> This is my first time writing a reader-insert fanfiction. As it's my first time, it might not turn out that good, but I hope that you will still enjoy it nonetheless. This story will be based loosely off Haikyuu, the anime. So, there will be some spoilers for those who have not watched the anime yet. You've been warned.
> 
> But honestly, thanks for reading my story and supporting me. I really appreciate it. I will try to update as much as I can unless I'm not free. This story is available on Wattpad and Quotev as well. Other than that, let's all jump straight into the story with everyone's favorite Karasuno's middle blocker. 
> 
> Love,  
> Rainbend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Based off Season 1 Episode 22 and 24

'I can't believe him! Who forgets about their own little sister, especially at such a crowded place? Seriously, this is why I'm Grandpa's favorite. Nevermind, I will deal with this own my on."

(H/C) hair flown behind you as you stormed off towards the direction of Karasuno's gymnasium, (E/C) eyes blazing with fury. You were the younger sister of Ukai Keishin, the current coach of Karasuno's Boys' Volleyball Team, Ukai (Name). You had just returned from studying abroad in (Country) and your useless brother was supposed to pick you up from the airport. Instead, he had completely forgotten about and left you stranded at the airport for nearly two hours before you decided to take things into your own hands. As you headed towards the school with the intent to murder him, the sounds of squeaking shoes and volleyballs told you that you were close to the gym. Now all you have to do is just find Keishin and end his life.

***

The boys of Karasuno were currently practicing for an upcoming practice match against their all time rival, Nekoma. Three figures stood to the side as they observed the boys go about their practice. A man wearing glasses stood next to a female student with black hair as she took down notes on the boys' progress while a man in his late twenties who was the "temporary coach" called on things to be improved.

"Nice receive Noya. Asashi, don't be afraid to spike the ball. Tsukishima, put more effort into blocking the ball. HINATA, STOP BOUNCING ALL THE OVER PLACE. KAGEYAMA, STOP SCARING HINATA!"

Kiyoko blew the whistle as Ukai gathered all the players to talk about strategies that they could use against Nekoma.

"Alright, so I was thinking that Hinata-"

"ONI-CHANNNNNN!"

Ukai's speech was cut off by an angry voice as his face was met with a foot that sent him flying to the floor as you leap at him in anger.

"BAKA! Who forgets about their own baby sister?! Do you know what could have happened to me at the airport?! For all you know, I could have been kidnapped!"

You continued to scream at the older Ukai, grabbing him by the collar and shaking him, poor Ukai's head looked like it could be detached anytime soon as his sister shake the life out of him. Meanwhile, everyone else just stood to one side and stared, not sure if they should helped their coach. Finally, Takeda Sensei stepped in and gave a little cough to gain your attention.

"Um, excuse me. If I'm not wrong, did you say that you were Ukai-san's sister?"

Realizing that you were making a fool out of yourself in front of everyone, you stopped shouting and quickly apologized for not introducing yourself.

"Sorry for disrupting your practice. Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Ukai (Name), the younger sister of Ukai Keishin. Nice to meet you!"

Upon hearing your name, the third and second year boys' faces lit up in recognition as they realized that it was none other than you. The young girl that would always accompanied her grandfather to their practices and matches. With that, they began to approach you to welcome you back after being away for such a long time. Meanwhile, the first years stood behind their senpais in confusion, not knowing who you were.

Tanaka and Nishinoya immediately pulled you into a tight hug as they realized that their favorite little crow was finally back from (country).

"(Name)-CHAN! WELCOME BACK! WE MISS YOU!"

Laughing at their usual antics, you just returned their hugs as you cheerfully replied. "Noya-senpai, Tanaka-senpai, it's nice to see you again. How have you two been? Still up to trouble as usual?"

"Now, now. Tanaka and Nishinoya, you aren't the only ones who are excited that (Name) has return." Sugawara, being the mother that he was gently scolded the two second years who had still yet to release you from their tight grasps.

At first, the two second years refused to release you until they felt shiver running up their spines as their captain stared at them with his usual death glare. Not wanting to face their captain's wrath, Tanaka and Nishinoya quickly released you and hid behind you, shaking like leaves in the wind. You just laughed as you petted your senpais on their heads, reassuring them. 

"There, there. Don't be scared. We can talk more afterwards okay?"

Upon hearing that, the two trouble makers released you and started shouting in each other faces about how their little crow has once again graced them with her presence. Shaking your head at your two idiotic friends, you turned your attention to the rest of the third years. 

"Daichi-san, you can stop staring at me with their glare of yours already. It's rude. Suga-chan, I still you're still being the mother that you always were. Asashi-san, you still look the same as ever." You ginned mischievously as you received three sets of replies from the third years.

"I see you're still being the same annoying crow that you are." Cue an even more intense stare between you and the captain.

"(Name)-chan, how many times I have told you to stop calling me a mother. Daichi, stop starting so intensely at her. You're scaring Hinata." Cue a "lovely" hit by Sugawara to Daichi's head. Daichi grasped his head in pain as he scowled at his vice-captain.

"Why did you only hit me on the head? (Name) was also staring at me."

Sugawara just petted you on the head as you gave an innocent look to Daichi. "(Name)'s stare wasn't scaring off Hinata, unlike yours."

With that, Daichi and Sugawara began to argue with one another while you just chuckled, approaching the remaining third year as Asahi softly replied you.

"(Name)-san, it's to see you again. How have you been?"

You happily punched Asahi's arm as you replied. "Asahi-san, you need to be more fierce or else people would see you as a glass-hearted baby."

With that, you left Asahi rubbing his sore arm as you approached the other second years. For a small girl, you packed quite a punch.

"Ennoshita-senpai, Narita-senpai, Kinoshita-senpai. How have you all been?" You greeted the three second years as they replied you. Soon enough, you fell into a easy conversation with them.

Meanwhile, the first years stood there and feeling even more confused, except for Tsukishima who just looked bored. Sugawara was still arguing when he noticed that the first years were being relatively quiet, especially the freak toss-and-spike duo. Chuckling to himself at their lost expressions, Sugawara called for your attention so he could introduced you to the first years.

"(Name)-chan! Come, I will like to introduce you to our newest members."

Upon hearing your name called, you headed towards where Sugawara was standing with four other males you have never seen before. A boy with bright orange hair eyes lit up as he saw you coming towards him and before anyone could said anything, he introduced himself.

"Hello! I'm Hinata Shouyou! Nice to meet you! I'm a-"

"You're a middle blocker. Despite your short height, you could jump really high which makes you a wing spiker too. Your receives and serves sucks though." You interrupted Hinata before he could even said what his position was.

Ignoring Hinata whose mouth was opening so wide that flies could make their homes in there, you continued to analyse and observed the rest of the first years.

Turning your direction to a tall boy with blue hair who immediately became rigid under your stare, you spoke. "You must be a setter, just like Suga-chan. No, you're on a whole different level. In fact, you are what we players call a genius. Your receives and jump serves are amazing too."

You were now on the roll as you continued to figure out their specialties. Pointing at a green-haired boy with lots of freckles, you said. "You must be a pinch server who specializes in jump float serve. You're still not quite there yet, but once you master it, you could do great things."

Lastly you turned to a very tall blonde male who wears glasses and before you can say anything, the boy sneered at you. "Whatever you are doing is rather creepy. Is this how you greet people when you first met them, Munchkin?"

"What did you just call me? I have a name ya know." You angrily glared at the boy before you. 

Tsukishima just smirked and replied, "Sorry you might need to speak up, I can't hear you from all the way up here."

"Why you!" Before you could leap at him to strangle Tsukishima to death, Ukai stepped in and pulled you away who was kicking and screaming to be release so you could murder the string bean. One thing that you hated the most was when people made fun of your short height. 

Sugawara just laughed as Ukai tried to calm you down. Once you were calmed enough, you stood next to the sliver-haired setter and continued on with the introductions. Kageyama just bowed as he screamed his name at you, while Yamaguchi gave a smile and small wave. Tsukishima being the ass that he was just simply kept quiet while Sugawara tried to hold you back and introduced him instead.

Hinata approached you and began jumping up and down as he asked excitedly. "Ukai-san, how do you know what my position is?"

Laughing at Hinata's excitement, you smiled and replied. "Firstly, call me (Name) and not Ukai. It's confusing as I share the same last name with my brother. Secondly, I could figure out your position is because I have been playing volleyball since young and I'm a volleyball player myself. Besides I have the knack for figuring out people specialties and positions."

Ukai placed his arm around your shoulders as he add on. "(Name) here is also a libero who brought Russia's team to national level. Hence why she will be helping out during practice, especially all your receives."

The minute Kageyama heard that you brought your team to national level, he began to stare at you intensely while asking about your training. Hinata just began to bounce all over you as he made excited noises and unintelligible words. In the chaotic mess, you just stood there sweat-dropping, not knowing how to react. Luckily, Sugawara came to your rescue and pulled you away from the genius setter and middle blocker, allowing you to breathe once more. After Takeda introduced himself to you and Kiyoko saying hi, you were given a set of Karasuno's Girl's Volleyball team uniform for you to change into. 

Once you changed, you joined the rest of the boys where your brother were giving further instructions for their upcoming match against Nekoma. Despite being thrilled at the idea of playing volleyball once more, you still weren't keen on the idea of being forced to practice but your brother must have a good reason for doing so.

"Ne, Onii-chan. You better give me a good reason why you're determine for me to help you during practice considering you're only the temporary coach."

"It's against Nekoma."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SO EARLIER ON? LET'S GO! WE ARE GONNA CRUSH THAT OLD GEEZER'S TEAM. COME ONE, WHAT ARE YOU STILL STANDING AROUND FOR?!'

You grabbed Hinata and Kageyama by the hands as you dragged them towards the court, leaving the rest of the boys to follow behind you as practice resumed. Meanwhile a certain string bean just stared at your retreating form and let out a "tch" before heading towards the court, followed by Yamaguchi. At first glance, Tsukishima could tell that crossing path with you spell out trouble. Hence, he planned on avoiding you at cost. Little did he know, Ukai (Name) was going to bring more than just trouble to his life. 

 


	2. Part 1: Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based loosely off on Haikyuu anime: Season 1 Episode 11. And I'm changing from Sugawara to Suga cos his name is too long. Besides I'm too lazy to type out everything. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Today was the first day of training camp and four days away from the fated match against Nekoma, Karasuno's all time rival in volleyball. It has been a week since you started school at Karasuno High and let's just say this past one week had been very interesting when you found out you shared the same class with a certain string bean. 

Flashback 

_Practice was finally over and you were helping to clean up when Hinata asked. "(Name)-san, will you be attending school here at Karasuno?"_

_Placing the volleyballs in your arms into the trolley, you happily replied. "Yeap, I will be attending school at Karasuno and tomorrow is offically my first day in school. I can't wait!"_

_Kageyama who was silent until now spoke up. "What class will you be in?"_

_Turning your attention to him, you answered. "I will be in Class 1-4, the collage preparatory class. How about you Kageyama-kun?"_

_Before Kageyama could replied you, a certain string bean cut in. "Oh, looks like we will be in the same class as this munchkin Yamaguchi. I'm amazed that she managed to get into that class considering how small her brain is. I mean, with that tiny body of hers, it's not like that is much space for her brain."_

_Your eye twitched as you glared at the tall blonde in front of you who was smirking down at you while Yamaguchi stood to his side, trying to contain his laughter. Before you could say anything or react, Hinata jumped in to defend you._

_"Oi is that how you treat (Name)-san? It's not nice!"_

_Tsukishima just sneered at Hinata as he replied smartly. "It's not like you're that smart to begin with, Chibi-chan. Be careful munchkin, I heard that idiocy is contagious."_

_Tsukishima directed his last sentence towards you. Hinata and Kageyama were about to defend you when suddenly, they felt an unanimous aura coming off you. Your face was black as waves of anger rolled off you having the two first years slowly backing away, fearing for their lives. Quite frankly, you reminded them of their captain whenever he was pissed. Meanwhile Yamaguchi gulped as he stared at you and Tsukishima, not sure to flee or stay by his friend side. As for Tsukishima, he was smirking at the look on your face which only caused you to be more angry. Before anyone could said to break the tension, you were flying through the air as you hurled yourself at Tsukishima whose eyes widen at your behavior as he was not expecting that at all._

_The rest of the players were cleaning up when they heard a loud screech coming from near the storage room where they kept all their_ _equipment. Turning around they were met with the sight of Kageyama and Hinata trying to pull you off Tsukishima while Yamaguchi who was having a difficult time trying to free his friend. You had a very tight grip on Tsukishima as you tried to claw at his face, leaving the poor boy to defend his face against your nails. Everyone stood frozen at their spots as they were more amazed at the fact that you managed to reach Tsukishima's face when he was clearly a head taller than you rather than you trying to scratch his face off._

_"(Name)-san, please let go of Tsukki. I'm sure he didn't mean it." Yamaguchi pleaded, but you were deaf to his words as you tried to make it your mission to claw off the string bean's face. Meanwhile, Daichi and Sugawara as well as the rest of the players who regained their senses tried to pull the two of you apart. Kiyoko who was clearing the water bottle earlier on, rushed to find Ukai and Takeda who were talking outside of the gym. The players were still trying to pull both you and Tsukishima apart when suddenly you felt someone hit you on your head, causing you to release your hold on Tsukishima as you collapsed on to the floor in pain. Grabbing your head and with tears in your (E/C) eyes, you turned to glare at whoever had the nerves to hit you on your head. However, you froze at the sight before you._

_It was none other than your brother, Ukai Keishin who looks like he was about to murder you._

_Scrambling to your feet, you laughed weakly and not meeting your brother's eyes, you said. "Nii-chan, I was just playing with string bean, I mean Tsukishima only."_

_Everyone just watched in amusement as you were dragged off by your brother to one corner to reprimand you. Your head were downcast as you sat on your knees before your brother who was scolding you. Deciding that it was best to not let things get worst, Daichi immediately barked at everyone to stop staring and get back to cleaning the gym before heading home._

_Meanwhile Kageyama and Hinata stared at their new friend in pity as she faced the wrath of their coach and Tsukishima who was still in shock was let away by Yamaguchi. All that was going through the volleyball players' heads was: never ever make the Ukais angry or you wouldn't see the living day again. Of course, being the sadist that he was, Tsukishima continued to tease you to no end._

_The next day..._

_"Hello everybody! My name is Ukai (Name)! Nice to meet you all!" You quickly bowed before giving a huge smile towards your new classmates. Let's just say by the end of your introduction, all the boys in your class were blushing and the girls were squealing at how cute you were._

_Your homeroom teacher smiled at the class as she said. "Ukai-san is our new transfer student, so please make her feel welcome. Ukai-san, you can seat at the empty desk next to Yamaguchi-san."_

_Thanking the teacher, you made your way toward the empty desk that was next to the window. Placing your bag onto the floor, you gave Yamaguchi a smile and he returned it. With that being said, class started. You were focusing on what your teacher was saying when you felt someone kicking at the back of your chair. You turned around with an annoyed look on your face to ask the person to stop when suddenly you were met with the smirking face of none other then Tsukishima Kei. Your eyes widen in horror when you realized that string bean was the one kicking you._

_Glaring at Tsukishima, you hissed at him. "Oi! Stop kicking my chair you string bean!."_

_Not bothering to wait for his reply, you faced the front once more. A few minutes later, you felt someone tugging at your hair. You turned around once more to only be met with the face of Tsukishima whose smirk had widen at the sight of your annoyed face. Glaring once more at him, you put your hair up into a bun to prevent string bean from pulling them. You thought that Tsukishima was done with his childish antics and began to relax when he started kicking your chair again. Before you can shout at him to stop, your teacher spoke up._

_"Is something the matter, Ukai-san?"_

_You forced a sweet smile on to your face and replied. "Nothing sensei. I was just feeling a little warm, that's all."_

_Your teacher gave a nod before resuming teaching the class. Meanwhile you turned around to glare once more at the salty fries and hissed through your teeth, "Stop disturbing me and pay attention!"_

_Tsukishima just smirked at you , not saying anything. You narrowed your (E/C) eyes at him before facing the front once more. Little did you know, that was just the beginning of Tsukishima's plan to make your life a hell. Throughout the rest of the day, the middle blocker refused to leave you alone. Even going as far to having lunch with you, preventing you from meeting up with Hinata and Kageyama to eat with them._

_By the time it was club activity time, you were ready to kill anyone who so as much as glance at you. Throughout practice, you were feeling more irritated than before. Waves of anger and annoyance were rolling off you to the point where Tanaka and Nishinoya were trembling behind Sugawara who was concerned with your well being. At the end of the day, you were forced to go home early and rest by your brother as you were scaring everyone with that death glare of yours. Scowling at Ukai, you grabbed your things and left, plotting a certain megane's death._

_Tsukishima just smiled smugly to himself as he watched you stormed into the night._

_Tsukishima: 1. (Name): 0._

End of flashback. 

Currently, Ukai was giving a speech to the volleyball players on what to expect for the next few days at training camp. 

"The practice match against Nekoma is in four days. Inter-high preliminaries will be soon thereafter. We've got no time, but you guys are full of holes. Since that's the case, there's only one way for you to win. Practice. Practice. And practice. Save the ball, even if you have to barf!"

After Hinata's loud "yeah", the boys prepared to get ready for practice when you finally decided to show up. Pushing the gym doors open, you let out a tired "good morning" which was returned with several "(Name)-chan!", "You're finally here." and "good morning". You stumbled towards the direction of your brother who was talking with Takeda-sensei about their match against Nekoma. 

Turning his attention onto you, Ukai gave you a smirk. "I see you have finally decided to crawl out of bed, sleeping beauty."

Too tired to fight back, you just gave your brother a glare before trudging towards the benches where you watched the boys do their warm up. But soon enough, you fell asleep considering that you weren't exactly a morning person. 

The boys stood in front of Ukai as he gave a final set of instructions before practice starts. "Okay, we are gonna do receives first. So, get into position. (Nickname)-chan, go and get ready as I need your help in assisting me.'

With that the boys got into position and practice began. Well, that's if Ukai could find you. Realizing that a certain (H/C)-haired girl was missing, he scanned the gym to find you. However, he wasn't able to locate you. Curse you and your small size. Before Ukai could asked anyone if they had seen you, Hinata pointed towards the direction of the benches, speaking to Kageyama. "Ne Kageyama-san, isn't that (Name)-san sleeping on the benches?"

Everyone followed the direction to where Hinata was pointing and sure enough there you were, completely dead to the world. Ukai stormed towards your direction, his facial expression blank. Meanwhile the Karasuno boys just stood there as they stared at their pissed off coach, feeling worried for you except Tsukishima who was chuckling at what was about to happen. 

You were dreaming about a certain string bean kneeling before you while you cackled at the victory of making the proud Tsukishima Kei kneel before you when you were awoken by an ear-splitting shout.

"BAKA! WAKE UP! THIS ISN'T YOUR HOME FOR GOODNESS SAKE!"

Ukai shouted at you as you immediately wake up, staring in confusion and still half-asleep. When you realized it was none other then your older brother who was glaring at you, you became alert, fully awake now. Ukai continued to reprimand at you as you trembled in fear before him. "First you turn up late and now you are sleeping when you're suppose to be helping me. Go and get change before I skinned you alive myself. As punishment, you'll be joining the boys in training whether you like it or not."

Not wanting to incur your brother's wrath, you let out a fearful "yes" before rushing off to change and get ready. The volleyball players sweat dropped at the sight of the two Ukais before them, one thought going through their minds: Like brother, like sister.

***

"Front! Front!"

Ukai shouted as he began to hit ball after ball to the boys for them to receive. After changing, you joined the team for practice. Currently it was Yamaguchi's turn to do receiving. Ukai send a ball towards his way, only for Yamaguchi to fail in receiving the ball properly. Feeling annoyed that this was the third time Yamaguchi failed in receiving the ball properly, he shouted at him.

"Hey, how many does it take for you to get it right?"

The green-haired just stood there in frustration as he stared at the floor, his hands clenching by his sides. Feeling sorry for Yamaguchi who was on the receiving end of your brother's anger, you approached him and got into the receiving stance.

"Here Yamaguchi. Let me show you how it's done. Place both your arms together like this and bend your knees. Keep your eyes on the ball at all time. When the ball is heading towards you, hit the ball upwards with your arms and not to the front. Nii-chan, send a ball my way.'

With that being said, Ukai send a ball towards you while you remained in position. Your (e/c) eyes sharpened as it focused on the ball, analyzing where it will go. Everyone watched with bated breathe as it was their first time seeing you playing volleyball. To their horror, the ball was heading towards the right side of the court, far from you. However instead of hearing the sound of the ball hitting the ground, in a flash, you managed to receive the ball and send it towards where the setter would be. Where you originally stood was now empty as you managed to receive the ball flawlessly.

Straightening yourself, you glared at you brother who innocently looked away. "I know you did that on purpose Nii-chan. There was no way anyone could have received the ball, you idiot."

"But you managed to receive it perfectly." Ukai smugly replied, ignoring your glare. 

Before you could reply, you were tackled onto the floor by a very enthusiastic libero.

"THAT WAS AMAZING (Name)-CHAN! TEACH ME HOW TO DO THAT TOO!"

Meanwhile Kageyama stared at you with stars in his eyes, mumbling something about how perfect that receive was. Hinata just jumped around you and Nishinoya who had still yet to release you, going on about how awesome that was.

"C-can't b-breathe."

You struggled to speak as the air was squeezed out of you. Luckily, Ennoshita came to your rescue and pried the over-excited second year off you. You let out a cough as you tried to regain control of your breathing. You straightened your outfit as you turned to face the boys who were looking you at with awed expression. Smiling shyly, you spoke. "And that's how you do a receive. Well at least I think so.'

After seeing how you received that ball, the Karasuno boys became pumped up in wanting to do better. Laughing to yourself, you turned to encourage Yamaguchi once more. "Here, you try it again. I'm sure you can do it as long as you do as I say. Go on."

Nodding his head at you, Yamaguchi faced his coach once more with a determined look on his face, letting out a "once more". 

This time round when Ukai send a ball towards Yamaguchi, he received it perfectly.

*** 

It was time for spiking and this time round you were forced to join the boys despite your protest.

"I'm a libero, nii-chan. Spiking isn't exactly my thing." You whined as you tried once more to not practice, but failing miserably. 

Ukai looked at you with a glare and said. "If you don't get in line, I'm gonna confiscate your laptop for one month."

Appalled at the idea of your laptop being taken away, you rushed to line up behind Tsukishima which was a huge mistake. You groaned in annoyance when you realized that you were in the same line as Mr. Salty Fries. Tsukishima smirked when he saw the miserable look on your face, teasing you.

"My my what do we have here? If it isn't the munchkin. Are you sure you can spike the ball with that height of yours?"

Your eyes twitched as you glared at Tsukishima. "Stop calling me that string bean. And I'll have you know that despite my height, I can jump quite high."

Tsukishima just snorted your comment as he sneered at you. "Tch as if you could jump that high. You're even shorter than Nishinoya-san."

You tried to punch Tsukishima in the face who easily dodged it. Instead you just angrily replied, "I will prove you wrong, you overgrown size megane!"

Tsukishima just petted you on your head as he cooed teasingly. "How cute Munchkin."

"Stop calling me that!" You shouted as you swatted his hand away, storming off towards the other line where Tanaka and Nishinoya were glaring at Tsukishima for provoking their precious little crow. 

Tsukishima let out a "tch" as he faced the front, Ukai shouting for them to get ready.

When it was your turn, you ran to where the ball was and bending your knees, you jumped as high you could, spiking the ball perfectly over the net. Landing on your feet, you thanked Suga before facing Tsukishima who had a look of surprise in his eyes with a smirk. Realizing that you were staring at him quite smugly, he quickly turned his face away from you, letting out an annoyed "tch". He was clearly not expecting you to be able to spike a ball. You smirked to yourself as Hinata, Tanaka and Nishinoya continued to praise you on your spiking.

You might be short, but you sure can fly like the crow that you were.

(Name): 1, String bean: 0.

*** 

You were all heading towards the direction of where the team would be staying during the training camp after practice when you realized that Suga was lacking behind everyone. With a worried expression your face, you slowed down your speed to match Suga's speed. 

"Suga-chan, Earth to Suga-chan." 

You waved your hand in front of Suga's face, trying to get his attention. Upon hearing you calling his name, Suga snapped out of his thoughts as he gave you a smile or at least he tried too. 

"Hey (Nickname)-chan, what's up?'

Smiling softly at him, you answered Suga. "Nothing. Just wondering if you were okay. You have been out of it ever since practice."

Suga's eyes widen at the fact you managed to notice that there was something wrong with him while everyone just assumed that he was tired from practice.

"How did you know that I wasn't myself?" 

Laughing, you replied. "Don't forget that I can read people like an open book no matter how closed off they are."

Suga let out a chuckle as he remembered that you surprised him when you managed to know what his volleyball position off at first glance. Staring at the front towards his team mates where Tsukishima was teasing Kageyama, Hinata, Tanaka and Nishinoya while Daichi and Ennoshita tried to stop them, Suga answered (Name).

"It's just that I have a feeling that Ukai-san might choose Kageyama as Karasuno's official setter not because of him being just a genius setter, but as well at the fact with both Hinata and Kageyama freak toss-and-spike, it will bring our team to greater height. I know that it's gonna happen and I was even ready to accept it. But something in me doesn't feel right."

"You know Suga-chan, I have known you for many years and you're an amazing setter. It's true that Kageyama-kun is a better setter than you and what with Hinata-kun being able to spike his tosses, Karasuno would soar to even greater heights. I know that you're ready to accept it if it means that it will bring Karasuno to national level. But Suga-chan, you're a third year which means this is your last year being in the volleyball team and is this what you want? I'm not saying that you should try to convince nii-chan to let you be Karasuno's official setter because I know that he will choose Kageyama over you. What I'm saying is, you should believe in yourself more and fight for what you want. That's all I have to say, the rest is up to you."

With that being said, you gave Suga a huge smile before running to catch up with Hinata and Kageyama. Meanwhile Suga stared at you in surprise, letting your words sink in before a smile settled on his face. Thanks to you, Suga knows what he must do.

Meanwhile...

"Give me back my headphones you four-eyed string bean!"

"Why are you being so selfish? I'm just interested in knowing what music you listen too."

"You could have just ask instead of snatching my headphones away from me!"

"I'll give it back to you if you can reach it in the first place."

"YOU ASSHOLE STRING BEAN! GIVE ME BACK MY HEADPHONES!"

And that my friends, was the wonderful start to the week-long training camp that you were so looking forward too. Only if a certain megane wasn't there to ruin it for you. 

 


	3. Part 1: Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized that I made Tsukishima smirked at reader-chan a lot while reader-chan is always glaring. Oh well, as long as it worked, it will be fine I guess. 
> 
> Enjoy!

"Wow! This is where we're staying?" Both you and Hinata shouted in excitement as the two of you stared at the building before you. 

"Ne, ne Hinata-kun! Let's go and explore the place!" You turned to Hinata with stars shining in your eyes, excited at the thought of spending the next few days here. It's been a while since you last went to a training camp and the idea of being in the same building with your team excite you. With that, you grabbed both Hinata's and Kageyama's hands as you dragged them inside the building. Meanwhile a certain blonde-haired male made a remark that would have him questioned his life choices if you have heard him. 

"Wah! Let's explore a place that is like any other houses Yamaguchi!" Tsukishima mocked you while Yamaguchi just laughed. 

Luckily for Tsukishima, you have already disappeared into the building and not hearing the remark or else you would have probably killed him on the spot. 

Once you were inside the building, both you and Hinata began to run throughout the building, opening doors after doors with excitement shining in your eyes. Kageyama tagged along behind as he said. "Both of you need to calm down."

"But Kageyama, this is my first time at training camp!" Hinata shouted at the blueberry while you nodded your head up and down like a bobble-head doll, agreeing with Hinata's words. 

"I have to hang all day with this slovenly bunch. What's so fun about that?" Tsukishima cut in annoyingly who was walking pass by when he heard Hinata's comment.

Upon hearing that, your eyes twitched in anger as you tried to punch Tsukishima in the face while Tanaka stood in the background, calling him a bastard. As usual, Tsukishima avoided your punch by taking a step back with a smirk on his face as he teased you. Nishinoya stepped in saying that "Kiyoko-san is within a 500 meter radius of us! How can that be slovenly?" while you tried to pried the hand off your head which Tsukishima managed to held onto tightly, giving an annoyed look at his second year senpais. 

"Tsukishima teme, get your hands off me! I'm gonna become bald by the end of the day." 

"Please, it's not like you have that much hair to begin with."

"Why you! Wait until I get my hands on you, you overgrown string bean!"

"I will like to see you try, that's if you can reach me first munchkin."

"STOP CALLING ME THAT AND LET GO OF ME!"

You were finally freed from Tsukishima's tight grip thanks to Suga who came to your rescue. You grabbed your head in pain as you glared at the middle blocker who simply smirked at you. Before the both of you could break out into another fight, Tanaka cut in eagerly. 

"Noya, Kiyoko-san will be staying with us. It's like the wellspring in the Ou Mountain."

"Shimuzu's home is nearby, so she's not staying here."

Suga walked away after announcing that their beauty manager wouldn't be staying in the building with the rest of the team, leaving the two hyper second years laying face flat on the floor while you stood there, feeling sorry for your senpais. Sometimes, the silver-haired setter can be quite cruel. 

***

"Sugoi!" Both you and Hinata exclaimed in awe at all the dishes laid on the table. 

On the table were many dishes of food that looked like came out of the magazine. There were Japanese curry, grilled fish, fried vegetables and many more. You whipped your head towards the direction of Kiyoko and bowing at 90 degrees, you thanked your female senpai and sensei for the food. 

"Arigatou Kiyoko-senpai and Takeda-sensei!"

You straighten up as you beamed up at the duo who said it was nothing, after all everyone deserved a good meal after a hard day of practicing. Tsukishima placed an arm on your head, using you as an armrest while Yamaguchi stood next to him. Glancing down at you, the blonde-haired male teased you. 

"Are you sure you're able to eat that much? I doubt that tiny body of yours could fit all that food in there." 

You tried to glare at Tsukishima which was quite difficult considering his weight was leaning on you as you struggled to support him. Yamaguchi simply just laughed at Tsukishima's remark, leaving you defenseless against the middle blocker's nasty personality. You were trying to push Tsukishima off you which wasn't working as he put more of his weight onto you. Luckily for you, Daichi came to your rescue as he scolded Tsukishima.

"Tsukishima, release (Name) and go seat down. It's time for dinner anyway."

Tsukishima released you as both he and Yamaguchi headed towards the table, sitting down opposite the second years minus Tanaka and Nishinoya. You were about to join both Hinata and Kageyama when you realized that all the seats at their table have been taken up. This meant that the only available seat was next to the string bean who was clearly smirking at your demise. Both Daichi and Suga gave you a look of pity as you settled down next to Tsukishima, a pout evident on your face.

"Itadakimasu!"

Everybody shouted while you let out a miserable "itadakimasu" before digging in. 

You were struggling to reach for the meat that for some reason was placed out of your reach. You glared at the meat which seemed to be mocking you, curse your short arms. You were about to give up when suddenly a pair of chopsticks with the meat on it was shoved right in front of your face. You glanced up to the person and was about to thank them when you realized it was none other than Tsukishima Kei. Tsukishima's face was bored as he placed the meat in your bowl, surprising you with his actions. The male raised an eyebrow at your gobsmacked face.

"Aren't you going to eat?" He asked you.

Your face brightened at the idea of eating such wonderful meat, completely forgetting that Tsukishima was actually a very evil person.

"Thanks string bean! Looks like you aren't as evil as I thought!" You thanked Tsukishima and picking up the meat, you placed into your mouth and let out a groan as the meat practically melts in your mouth. 

Everyone froze at the sight before them. (e/c) eyes widen in surprise as Tsukishima's lips was against your right cheek. Tsukishima leaned back as he stared at your frozen body. Silence surrounded the room before chaos broke out everywhere. You quickly stood up as your chair fell on to the floor, your face reddening as you glared at Tsukishima with rage. Your (e/c) eyes blazed with fury as you tried to get your hands onto Tsukishima, but was held back by Ennoshita while you screamed at the middle blocker.

"WHAT ON EARTH WERE YOU DOING YOU OVERGROWN STRING BEAN?! DO YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH?! LET ME GO! I'M GONNA MURDER THAT TELEPHONE POLE!"

As you kicked and screamed to be released, you struggled against Ennoshita and Suga who had rushed to help the poor second year trying to hold you back against from killing the middle blocker. Meanwhile your brother who was also being held back by Takeda and Daichi to prevent him from murdering the blonde was shouting bloody murder at Tsukishima for tainting his precious younger sister. Tanaka and Nishinoya were on fire as they tried to get their hands on the middle blocker as both Narita and Kinoshita pulled on their shirts to hold them back as well, shouting how dare Tsukishima hurt their precious little crow with Hinata and Kageyama in the background spurring them on. Asahi was trying his best to calm everyone down but failing terrible at doing so while Yamaguchi tried to defend his friend from all the assaults. Kiyoko simply just stayed out of the way, used to the volleyball team and their usual antics. 

After everyone managed to calm down and resumed eating, you were already gone by then. The moment Ennoshita and Suga released you, you ran out of the room as you hid yourself inside the storage room, squeezing into a corner. Everyone let you be as they knew that you needed some time to yourself after what happened. Daichi scolded Tsukishima who was feeling slightly guilty not that he would ever admit thanks to his pride, let out a soft apologize with a blank face. Takeda managed to calm down Ukai saying that Tsukshima was just being childish and that (Name) would be fine. 

Finally after everyone was almost done with dinner, you decided to show your face again. Everyone watched warily as you calmly approached Tsukishima who was staring at you with suspicions in his eyes, wondering what you were going do. Despite your face showing no emotions, mischief was dancing in your (e/c) eyes. You smirked at Tsukishima before leaning down and placed a kiss onto his lips. You continued kissing Tsukishima who sat frozen in his seat, his face slowly becoming so red that it put shame to the tomatoes. You finally straightened as your smirk widen at your result. Tsukishima just sat there blankly, not moving at all. Finally the male regained his senses as he glared at you with a red face. 

"That my dear string bean was revenge for what you did to me just now." You smugly said to Tsukishima. 

You weren't one to back down without a fight. 

The rest of the volleyball team were silent as they watched the scene enfold before them, shocked at what you have done. Kiyoko counted to three in her mind.

Cue another chaos breaking out as everyone finally reacted to what just happened. 

As all sort of noises were going on in the background, both Tsukishima and you glared at each with one thought going through both your minds. 

'Two can play at this game string bean.'

'If this is how you're gonna play at it, it's so on.'

***

After dinner, you took a quick bath before heading over to the boys' room. Despite you wanting to share the same room with the volleyball players, you were forced to sleep in the same room as your brother and sensei. Pouting you recalled the conversation you had with your brother. 

_"Why can't I sleep in the same room with the boys?" You asked your brother for the fifth time._

_Fed up with your whining, Ukai turned to you with a stern look and with a firm voice, he replied you. "For the last (nickname)-chan, you're a girl. This means that you can't share the same room with a bunch of boys. It's not appropriate."_

_"But I share a room with you all the time." You gave your brother a confused look._

_Face palming, your brother sighed before he explained to you. "That's different as I'm your brother. Besides we are family."_

_"But-"_

_"For the last time, my answer is no. You will be sleeping in the same room as me and Takeda-sensei." Ukai cut you off before you could protest any longer._

_You just sat there with a pout on your face, upset at the fact that you can't sleep in the same room with the rest of the boys._

Pushing the door to the boys' room open, all heads turned to you as they saw you standing at the entrance way. Nishinoya and Tanaka immediately leaped to their feet, pulling you into the room. 

"(Nickname)-chan! You came to see us?" Both second years shouted at you, hopes gleaming in their eyes. 

Laughing, you replied happily. "Yeap, nii-chan allowed me to join you guys before lights out."

Hinata jumped up and down besides you, shouting. "Hooray! (Name)-chan is here to play with us.

Kageyama and Yamaguchi were looking at you with blushes on their faces, not used to seeing you with your hair let down since you always have your hair up. Meanwhile, Tsukishima ignored you and continued scrolling through his phone.

"(Nickname)-chan, you wear glasses?" Suga asked curiously, seeing the glasses resting on your face. 

"Yea, I don't remember seeing you wearing glasses at school or during training." Dachi piped in. 

You removed your glasses to clean it before placing it back onto your face before explaining. "My eyesight becomes blurry at night, hence I need to wear glasses in order to see things clearly."

"That must be because you spend so much so time staring at your phone." An annoying voice reached your ears. 

You faced Tsukishima who was smirking at you. You scowled at him before replying. "Tch at least my eyesight is better than yours. Unlike you, I don't have to wear glasses in the day and the reason my eyesight is this way is because it's an eye problem that runs through my family."

Tsukishima let out an annoyed "tch" when he realized that you were completely right. Tanaka, Nishinoya and Hinata were rolling on the floors in laughter, while everyone else just chuckled or smiled in amusement. You just stood there smugly, happy that you were able to have a perfect comeback against Tsukishima. 

You spend the next few hours with the volleyball team playing and talking (in Tsukishima's case, arguing) when your brother came in to tell everyone it's time to sleep. You bid everyone good night before for following Ukai back to your shared room to call it a night. 

You never had that much fun ever since you went to study abroad in (country). You were glad that you had decided to join Karasuno High and became the volleyball's official assistant coach. 

***

The next day, practice resumed as the practice match against Nekoma draws closer. 

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with Ukai-san and Takeda-sensei discussing about the match against Nekoma?" Tsukishima asked you with a sneer. 

Feeling irritated at the string bean's tone, you answered back, "I was forced by nii-chan to join in running or else he will take away my laptop, leaving me no choice. Besides, I already discussed with nii-chan. Now leave me alone string bean."

Tsukishima scowled at the nickname that you always called him by before smirking at you, saying. "Are you sure you're able to run that fast with those short legs of yours?"

"Excuse me? Doesn't me that I have short legs, I can't run that fast. Besides I'm a libero, it's necessary for me to be quick on my feet."

"Huh really? For a moment I forget that you are a libero considering that you're so short that I'm sure no one will notice you on court."

"Why you telephone pole! Fine, I'll race against you to prove you wrong." 

"Hn. Fine. I will try to go easy on you then."

"No thanks. I'm sure I can easily win against you."

Both you and Tsukishima stood next to each other, glaring as everyone else got ready to run. Once Daichi started the run, you took off as you were determined to win against that string bean when you realized that he was jogging next to Yamaguchi with a teasing smirk on his face. Knowing that you had been fooled, you retracted your steps as you ran as fast as you can towards Tsukishima before hurling yourself at him. Meanwhile Tsukishima simply stepped out of the way, sending you flying past him. 

"TSUKISHIMA TEME! YOU LIED TO ME!"

"SHUT UP AND STOP DISRUPTING PRACTICE, (NAME)!"

"Gomenasai Daichi."

***

You stood next to your brother who was buying a drink when suddenly a certain silver-haired setter approached you both. You stared at Suga in confusion, asking.

"Everything okay, Suga-chan?"

"Don't worry, I'm fine." Suga replied you before turning to face your brother. 

"Ukai-san."

"What?" Your brother answered back.

"Taking a deep breath, Suga continued on. "We third years are done after this year. That's why our desire to win is double that of others. We want the ticket that will take us to our next stage. If it's Kageyama who deserves that ticket more than me, you should give it to Kageyama without a second thought."

Both you and Ukai's eyes widen in surprise upon hearing Suga's words. Looking at the determined look on Suga's face, it reminded you of the conversation you had with your third year senpai. 

 

_"It's just that I have a feeling that Ukai-san might choose Kageyama as Karasuno's official setter not because of him being just a genius setter, but as well at the fact with both Hinata and Kageyama freak toss-and-spike, it will bring our team to greater height. I know that it's gonna happen and I was even ready to accept it. But something in me doesn't feel right."_

Suga went on. "Dachi, Asahi and I have been playing together since our first year. I'd like to stand on the same court with them, and play as much as I am able. If Kageyama gets tired or if something happens,  I want to fill that void or be a substitute. Even if it's out of pity because I'm a third year, as long as I get another chance to play in a match, that's all that matters. I don't care if I'm not the official setter. I won't give up my desire to play on the court. So I want as many chances as possible."

By the end of Suga's declaration, there were tears shining in your eyes as your heart swelled with pride for your vice-captain. 

"I'm sorry for being so presumptuous." Suga apologized as he looked at his feet.

You glanced up at your brother, wondering what he will do next as your brother faced Suga.

"Sugawara. I think I've been underestimating you. To be honest, I'm amazed at you right now. I'm not an experienced coach yet, but I will do everything in my power to so you guys can go on winning."

Upon hearing your brother's words, Suga's face lit up and bowing, he shouted. "Thank you!"

Meanwhile, you just gave Suga a big small which he returned it with a smile of his own.

Dinner time...

"Thank you for the food!"

Tsukishima and Yamaguchi stared in disgust at Hinata and Kageyama who were gobbling down their food like no tomorrow while you just laughed at them. 

"Where does that appetite come from?" Tsukishima asked in horror while Yamaguchi looked he's going to vomit anytime.

"Hey, eat. Eat even if you can't eat anymore!" Nishinoya cut in as he point his chopsticks at the first years.

Shaking your head at their antics, you turned your attention towards Suga who seemed to eating more than usual. You smiled to yourself as you overheard the three third years talking, knowing that Suga would be fine.  

 ***

Today was the last day of training before the practice match against Nekoma. Everyone was gathered around Ukai as he gave some instructions before training starts.

"For the Nekoma battle, this will be our starting order. It's a configuration you're barely used to, so I'm not expecting you to synchronize straight away. We now have an amazing libero and the ace has returned, but don't really on those facts or think victory is assured. Victory goes to the team that connects. Let's see how this configuration works in the battle against Karasuno's long-standing rival, Nekoma."

Everyone let out a resounding "yeah" before getting ready for practice. You elbowed your brother who gave you a glare as you smirked, saying.

"Ne, nii-chan. Who knew you can be this serious and smart? If you have applied this when you were still schooling, you would find a better job as compared to being a clerk at our family's convenience store."

"Why you!"

Everyone watched in amusement as you ran away from your brother who was planning your murder as we speak. Seeing how relaxed you were despite the practice match being tomorrow put the volleyball players at eased.

"Asashi-san."

Asahi's body became rigid as he faced Nishinoya who had called out his name.

"I needn't mention Suga-san of course, but you're probably feeling sorry for Ennoshita-san and the others too, aren't you?" Nishinoya went on.

Upon hearing that, both Asahi and Ennoshita let out a "what" as you stood next to the short libero, wondering what they were talking about.

Placing his hands on his hips, Nishinoya went on. "The strong stand on the court. That's how it is."

Asahi's face paled even further at Nishinoya's words when Ennoshita spoke up.

"Um, Asahi-san. I can't say that I've always been a devoted player. There was a time I quit, even. So-" 

Nishinoya cut in, glancing at Asahi. "If they become stronger than the ace in mind and body, they will rightfully steal the regular position out from other you, Asahi-san. Right, Chikara?"

Ennoshita quickly paled at the words coming out from Nishinoya's mouth, saying. "Huh? I wouldn't go that far..."

Meanwhile you added on. "Or if a regular position were to be stolen, maybe it would be Tanaka-senpai's first."

Upon hearing that, Tanaka rushed over and grabbing Ennoshita by the shirt, he glared at him. 

"You've got some nerve! Throw the first punch, Ennoshita!" 

You laughed as you watched Ennoshita desperately trying to defend himself against the bald wing spiker who was trying to hit him. 

'Maybe I shouldn't have said that.'

***

Everyone was practicing half way when Kiyoko came in with a box in her arms. Ukai called everyone to stop and gathered in front of him as he pulled an item out of the box, it was none other than Karasuno's Boys' Volleyball official uniform. 

"Sugoi! It's the one I saw on TV." Hinata exclaimed excited as he stared his uniform before him. It was a black and orange shirt with the number 10 printed boldly across the back. When he realized that Nishinoya's uniform was different from his, Hinata spoke up. 

"But only Noya-san is orange. You stand out."

"Of course. After all, I have the leading role." 

"Leading role?"

Laughing at Hinata's awe expression, you explained to him. "The libero goes on and off the court frequently during a match. He's the only that needs to be noticeable. Hence why Noya-senpai's uniform is different from the rest." 

Hinata was about to reply back when he saw the number on Kageyama's uniform which was one number higher than his, shouting. 

"Kageyama is one notch higher than me." 

"I knew he was going to say that." Both Tanaka and Tsukishima smugly said while you stood next to Hinata, petting him on the back as you felt sorry for him. 

Daichi and Suga looked at Hinata with a smile before commenting. "Yeah, I guess you don't remember that number. Because you saw it once on TV only, right?" 

Smiling at Hinata, you add on. "The Little Giant wore #10 when he went to nationals."

Hinata's eyes lit up in excitement as he faced Ukai, saying. "Was this your thoughtful idea, coach?"

"Nope, just a coincidence."

You smiled in amusement as Hinata told Kageyama not to be jealous of him wearing the same uniform as the Little Giant while the blueberry tried to deny that he wasn't jealous. 

"By the way, the Little Giant that Hinata admired played on the best team Karasuno's ever had. But even then, Karasuno never defeated Nekoma. Not even once. It was one loss after another. I want you to the table on them." Ukai spoke. 

"Don't worry, with me on your team I'm sure we will defeat Grandpa Neko and his team for sure. You better be prepare to retire soon, you old cat." You said before muttering the last part under your breath. Everyone sweat dropped at the evil look on your face as you mumbled how you were going to defeat the coach of Nekoma once and for all. Sometimes you can be quite scary when it come to volleyball. 

***

It was the day of the fated match against Nekoma.

Both Karasuno and Nekoma stood in a line, the players facing each other with their distinguish colours - black and red.

You stood next to your brother as you stared at Nekomata, the coach of Nekoma, with a smirk on your face. Nekomata returned your smirk with a smug look of his own, your brother's high school friend, Naoi next to him.

"Long time no see, Granpa Neko." You smirked at him.

"Are you ready to be crush, little crow?" Nekomata replied smugly.

"Oh, you're so on." You answered back, your smirk widening.

LET THE BATTLE AT THE GARBAGE DUMP BEGAN! 

 


	4. Part 1: Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fated match between Karasuno and Nekoma. (Name) meeting old friends as well as new friends.

"Why if it isn't the little crow of Karasuno? Are you ready to admit defeat?" 

Nekomata sneered at you as your (e/c) eyes twitched in anger at his words. Not one to back down from a fight, you smirked at him. "Oh I think it's quite the opposite, in fact are you cats ready to admit defeat against us crows? After all, crows aren't known to be exactly friendly."

"Oh ho, don't be so quick to judge us cats. We are known to be quite the fighter, more so than you crows."

"Why you old geezer! I'll have you know that we crows can take on anything you throw at us."

"You're so on!"

Both you and Nekomata glared at one another, while your brother and Naoi sweat dropped in the background. While you and the coach of Nekoma were bantering back and forth, the volleyball players of both Karasuno and Nekoma were having an interesting introduction among themselves. 

Suga and Yaku, the libero of Nekoma were apologizing to each other for the behavior of their teammates when suddenly they heard a voice shouting behind them. 

"NEKO-MAMA! HOW HAVE YOU BEEN?! I MISS YOU SO MUCH!!"

'Neko-mama?' Suga, Hinata and Tanaka glanced at one another, giving confusing looks while you practically threw yourself onto Yaku who was trying to support your weight. 

"(Nickname)-chan, how many times I have told you to not to call me that name? It's embarrassing." Yaku gently scolded you while you gave him a pout.

"But Yaku-senpai, that name fits you. After all, you're like the mother of Nekoma. Ain't that right Kenma-kun and Yamamoto-senpai?"

Yamamoto gave you a resounding 'yes' while Kenma just stood there, playing with his hand phone that he had managed to take it out in the middle of whatever it's going on. 

"Ano, if you don't mind me asking, but (Name)-chan you know the Nekoma players?" Suga asked you curiously.

"Yeap, I used to follow Grandpa to Tokyo whenever Karasuno and Nekoma has practice matches with one another in the past. It's been quite a while since I last saw them." You happily explained as Yamamoto tried to pull you off Yaku who looks close to collapsing under your weight.

"(Name)-san, can you please let go of Yaku-san? He looks like he's about to faint anytime soon." Kenma softly said, his eyes still remained on his phone.

You glanced down at Yaku's face which has turned a few shade lighter, indicating that you were crushing his lungs. Feeling sorry for the poor third year, you leaped off while apologizing frantically. Meanwhile Suga just stood with an amused smile on his face, used to your usual antics. (Hinata and Tanaka both had disappeared, maybe it was the "ghost baby" from their training camp that kidnapped them. If you know what I mean.)

Inside the gym...

"We're looking forward to our match today."

"We're looking forward to it as well."

Both Daichi and Kuroo, the captain of Nekoma shook hands as they gave each other a forced smile. The thought "This guy is the crafty type." went through their minds when suddenly Kuroo felt someone walking into his back. Turning around, Kuroo saw you clutching your forehead, groaning in pain. The black-haired male gave a surprised look, saying.

"Kitten?"

You glanced up in surprised at the nickname which you haven't heard in years. Lo and behold, it was the captain cat that you used to play with you whenever you came to Tokyo. "Kuroo-nii?"

Kuroo just smiled at you as he pet you on your head, saying. "Long time no see. How have you been?"

"KUROO-NII!" You shouted as you threw yourself at Kuroo, burying your face into his neck.

Everyone turned and stared the sight of Nekoma's captain hugging Karasuno's assistant coach who was clinging tightly onto him. Meanwhile Tsukishima just looked at you and Kuroo, a frown on his face as unwanted feelings stirred inside of him. For some unknown reason, the sight of you hugging Kuroo so tightly made his stomach churned. Shaking his head to get rid of the feelings, he turned his attention away from the sight before him and got ready for the match. (A certain string bean is jelly!) After a few minutes, several responses could be heard throughout the gym. 

"WHAT?!"

"EH?! KUROO HAS A YOUNGER SISTER?!"

"KUROO IS (NAME)'S BROTHER?! BUT I THOUGHT UKAI-SAN IS ONLY HER BROTHER?"

You released your hold on Kuroo as you looked at everyone's surprised expression, feeling confused you said. "Huh? Kuroo-nii isn't my actual brother. I just called him that because I have known him since young."

Ukai gave a sigh of relief. For a moment, he was shocked as well thinking that maybe Kuroo was his long-lost brother that he never knew about. Thank god that wasn't the case considering you were his precious younger sister and let's just say, he wasn't quite ready to share you with anyone yet. Kuroo chuckled as he saw the look of relief on Karasuno's coach's face. Leaning next to your ear, he whispered. "I think you should go over to your brother and reassured him that he's your only brother."

You glanced at your brother who was glaring at Kuroo and sighed to yourself. Sometimes your brother can be quite the idiot. Ukai was still glaring at Kuroo when he felt someone hugging him from behind. Glancing down, Ukai realized it was you who was peering up at him with those big (e/c) of yours. Smiling, you said. "Don't worry, nii-chan. I wouldn't replace you for anyone else."

Ukai just returned your smile as he patted you on the head. 

"Aw, this is cute and all. But, it's about time we start the match." Nekomata said as he interrupted both you and Ukai. 

You released your brother as you raised your fist up at Nekomata, scowling. "How dare you interrupt this lovely sibling moment I have with nii-chan? Do you know how hard it is for me to get my brother's love when half of the time he's always bullying me?"

"Hey!" Ukai protested.

"Shut up, nii-chan."

Ukai and you began arguing while everyone else just ignored the two of you while they set up everything, getting ready for the match. After all, they were used to the Ukai siblings arguing now and then. 

***

The whistle blew as the match began. You glanced over to your brother and noticed the sly smirk on his face. This could mean one thing. Soon enough the evil look on your face appeared as you look at the match playing out before you. Takeda looked at the two Ukais, fear climbing up his spine at the looks on both faces. You watched as Kageyama tossed the ball towards Hinata who immediately spiked across the net at an insane speed. The whistle blew as Karasuno gained their first point. 

"W-what was that?" Nekomata screeched. 

You and your brother glanced over at Nekomata, snickering at the old man who was glaring at the two of you. "Ne, nii-chan. I think we are too much for the old cat to handle us."

"Yeah I mean he looked like he's having a heart attack. Poor guy couldn't handle all their stress."

"Soon he's gonna be..."

"OUR NEXT MEAL YOU OLD CAT! HAHAHA!" Both you and Ukai jeered in unison. 

"SHUT UP YOU TWO UKAIS! THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING!"

Meanwhile on court...

The two teams stared at their coaches who were screaming at each other faces. 

"Are they always like that?" Kuroo asked Daichi who just stared at you being held back by your brother as you threatened Nekomata, saying you will rip out all his gray hairs. 

Daichi nodded as everyone paled at the sight of you, who knew you could be that terrifying? Noticing that the match has been stopped, you, Ukai and Nekomata turned to the boys on the court.

"You just gonna stand there and talk?"

"No..."

"THEN GET BACK TO THE GAME!" Your brother screamed. 

The match continued as you and Nekomata casually made snide remarks at one another. A ball came hurdling from a spike and before it can touched the floor, Nishinoya received it perfectly back up into the air. 

"Nice receive Noya-senpai!" You praised Nishinoya for the nice save. Nishinoya gave a thumbs-up before getting back into the game. 

You continued praising the players whenever did they something amazing, cheering and lifting their spirits up. But as Inouka managed to keep up with Hinata every time he tried to score a point, the mood among your teammates began to drop. However, the ball of sunshine persisted on. At one point, a ball came straight towards Tsukishima who simply received it lazily and it set you off. In an instant, you were screaming at the top of your lungs at the middle blocker. 

OI STRING BEAN! STOP BEING SO LAZY AND PLAY PROPERLY!"

"Awe, you just can't your eyes off me can you?"

"I'LL FREAKING RIP YOUR HEAD OFF IF YOU KEEP BEING SO GODDAMM LAZY, YOU SHITTY FOUR-EYED!"

"I'll like you see you try doing that. But with that height of yours, I doubt so you can."

Ukai held you back before you could really carry out your threat while Nekomata just laughed. Meanwhile Tsukishima simply stood there, trying his best to hide his smirk. 

"You got character issues, Tsukishima." The rest of the Karasuno team grumbled, tired of you and Tsukishima always fighting. 

The game continued on and as you calmed down, you began to feel bored. You glanced at the game that is going before you. Everyone cheered as Tanaka managed to score a point. Somehow seeing the boys playing volleyball makes you want to play volleyball again. Suddenly, your (e/c) eyes light up as you got an idea. Tugging on your brother's sleeve, you excitedly said. 

"Ne, ne nii-chan. Can I join in on the match? I'm bored."

Your brother glanced at you before saying, "No. Besides, are you even properly dressed?" 

You nodded your head as you unzipped your Karasuno jacket, showing that you were indeed properly dressed. Ukai simply looked at you before saying "no" again. 

"But I wanna play! It's been so long since I last played in a match. Please Kei-nii." You pleaded your brother, giving him the puppy look. 

Ukai stared at you, refusing to be fooled by your puppy look. You widen your (e/c) eyes as you jutted out your lips, acting like a wounded puppy. Finally after what seemed like forever, your brother agreed. 

"Fine. But let me ask Nekomata-sensei first." 

"Yay! Arigatou!"

You cheered as your brother sighed, making his way over to Nekoma's coach. You beamed as your brother gave you the thumbs-up, indicating that you can in fact joined the boys in playing volleyball. 

Ukai (name) is back!

***

The whistle blew as the first set came to an end, with Nekoma winning the first set. You began passing towels and water bottles to the tired boys, each of them thanking you. 

"Arigatou, (name)-chan." Hinata thanked you half-heartily as you handed him his water bottle. Seeing the disheartened look on Hinata's face, you tried to cheer him up. "You did great out there. Despite being constantly blocked, you didn't give up and I'm proud of you doing so. Don't worry, okay? Besides, I'm gonna help you guys win the second set."

Hinata gave you a confused look. "What do you mean by that?"

You simply winked at at the orange-haired middle blocker, not giving him any hints. 

"Can you not do that? It's disgusting." A certain blonde-haired male spoke up.

You clenched your fists in anger as you turned to face Tsukishima, answering him. "Shut it you four-eyed string bean. Besides, what is wrong with you? Always making fun of me? And stop being so lazy when you're in the middle of the game!"

Tsukishima simply just smirked at you, saying. "Aww is munchkin-chan sad that I don't like her? Want me to hug you to make you feel better?"

"As if anyone wants to hug you?" You retorted back.

Before Tsukishima could retaliate, Ukai called you. "(Name)-chan, are you ready?"

Your (e/c) eyes lit up, immediately forgetting about your anger at Tsukishima as you replied excitedly. "Yeap I'm ready!"

All the Karasuno's boys watched in confusion as you rummaged through your bag, looking for something. Their eyes widen when they saw what you were looking for. In your hands were your knee and elbow guards. 

"(Name)-chan, are you playing volleyball?" Suga asked as you began to put on your guards.

You straightened up as you replied back happily. "Yeap! I will be taking over Noya-senpai as the libero for the second set."

"WHAT?"

Everyone shouted as you simply just laughed. 

"(Name)-chan, you can't just take over Noya's position like that." Tanaka said.

"It's fine, Ryuu. Ukai-san talked to me about how (Name)-chan really wants to play in the match and the position she only knows how to play is libero. Seeing how (name)-chan is so passionate about wanting to play volleyball, I decide to let her take my place for the second set. Besides, I can really use the break." Nishinoya replied. 

You faced Nishinoya, bowing you said. "Arigatou Noya-senpai. I promise I wouldn't let you down!"

Nishinoya laughed as he hit you on the back, causing you to almost fall flat on your face.

The whistle blew once more, indicating that the second set is about to start. You entered the court along with the Karasuno's boys, surprising the Nekoma players except for Kuroo who simply smirked at you. You faced your opponents with a smirk on your face. It's time for Karasuno to counter attack.

"Are you sure we can win now that munchkin is playing?"

"SHUT UP YOU OVERSIZE STRING BEAN!"

*** 

 You stretched your arms as you tried to keep your mind focused on the game. You were slightly nervous as it has been months since you last played volleyball after the national in (country). Daichi glanced over to you and seeing the nervous look on your face, he smiled at you.

"Don't worry (Name)-chan, just do what you know best. We've got your back."

Your (e/c) eyes widen at Daichi's words, not expecting him to say that. You have forgotten that you're not alone in this game, you have your teammates to support your back. You closed your eyes and took in a deep breath, going through your role as a libero. You opened your eyes, focused (e/c) hues that has turned into slits, representing the little crow of Karasuno that you were known as. You were calm. You were collected. You were confident. _Lightning-quick reflexes._ Your eyes followed as the ball flicked upwards and time seemed to slow as you watched the way how your opponent's arm swing.

_Arm cocked back, definitely aiming for a back attack. Probably towards Tsukishima who sucked at receiving._

Tsukishima's golden eyes widen as the ball was served in his direction. The middle blocker gritted his teeth as he prepared to try to receive the ball, knowing that he wasn't all that great at receiving. But before he could even react, you were already in front of him as your straighten arms received the ball perfectly, sending it towards Kageyama's direction who tossed the ball for Hinata to spike. A resounding sound echoed throughout the gym, the volleyball hitting the floor. A whistle blew, signalling that Karasuno won a point. 

You straightened yourself as you glanced at everyone who was staring at you with mixed expressions, most of it being surprise and shock. Rubbing your neck as you hesitantly said. "Er..."

Immediately the gym exploded into loud noises.

"(Name)-CHAN! THAT WAS AWESOME!" Tanaka shouted in your face, his eyes shining. 

"You were like _gwap_ , _shoop_ and then I was _powed._ It was as though the ball had rockets!" Hinata explained with all kind of actions as you sweat dropped at his choice of words. (I tried to make Hinata speak like he does in the anime.)

Daichi patted you on your head, smiling. "Nice receive, (nickname)-chan."

You rubbed your neck as you shyly said. "Ah, it was nothing at all. I just observed the server's arm swing and decided that he was serving towards the back, probably towards string bean who sucked at receiving. With that in mind, I ran in front of Tsukishima and managed to send the ball towards Kageyama who set the ball up for Hinata. So technically, it was Hinata and Kageyama who scored a point."

You blinked in confusion as everyone stared at you, their jaws dropped open wide. 

"Scary. You're scary, (nickname)-chan." Daichi said as he stared at you with an unreadable expression on his face. You simply gave him an awkward grin, not knowing how to respond.

"Wah! Suddenly munchkin-chan becomes all famous." An annoying voice reached your ears. 

Irk marks appeared on your forehead as you turned to glared at Tsukishima who was smirking at you, pointing at him, you said. "Oi don't anyhow say that about me. And can you put more effort into playing volleyball? That's how you do a proper receive. Honestly, all those times I spend teaching you had gone to waste."

Tsukishima ignored your remark as he patted you "gently" on your head, teasing you. "Aw is munchkin-chan here worried about me?"

You grabbed on Tsukishima's arm as you tried to pry him off you, scowling. "Let go of me string bean! You're giving me a headache."

Tsukishima being the sadist that he was, did the exact opposite as he added more pressure on your head. At this point you were kicking and screaming at the blonde male to let you go while he simply laughed at your misery. In the end, it took an angry Daichi, a scared Asahi and a scary-looking Tanaka to separate the both of you so the game could go on. 

***

"You were amazing Shoyo! You're like... Zoom! Bam! Oh, I'm Inouka, a first year." Inuoka said as he stared at Hinata in awed. 

"You too. You're big, but you're like... Wham! Kaboom!" Hinata replied.

You laughed in amusement at the two first years' exchange as they bounced up and down, complimenting one another. The practice match had come to an end and Karasuno lost every single match against Nekoma. Despite that, none of the Karasuno's boys was upset as they mingled among the Nekoma players. Currently, everyone is clearing up after a long day of volleyball. 

"What the heck are they talking about?" Tsukishima said as he stared at the two first years. 

"They're complimenting each other on their plays during the match, string bean. Try to keep up." You answered Tsukishima casually who raised an eyebrow at you as you struggled to untie the net from the pole. 

Instead of helping you, he simply just watched your misery with a smirk on his face. "Just a bit more and you would have reached it."

You faced the male with a scowl on your face as you raised your fist at him. "Instead of standing there and being a telephone pole, you could have help me out."

Tsukishima's eyes twitched as you called him a telephone pole. "Is this how you ask someone for help? Because if it is, I don't think anyone would want to help."

"As if you can talk. You're ten times more rude than me you four-eyed shit."

"Maybe I'll help if you give me a kiss."

Your faces immediately turned ripe at the mention of the incidence during dinner that day. Meanwhile Tsukishima simply smirked at you, enjoying the sight of your red face. You clenched your fists as you stared at the floor, gritting your teeth. "I seriously don't understand what it's your problem. Why are you treating me this way when I didn't even do anything to do you. Do you hate me that much?"

Tsukishima's eyes widen slightly at the sight of tears in your (e/c) eyes. You wiped away your tears before walking off, mumbling. "Forget about it. It's not like you will understand anyway."

Tsukishima simply stared at your retreating back as you went to join Hinata and Kageyama, forcing a smile onto your face. For the first ever since he met you, Tsukishima felt slightly guilty. Not that he would admit it. 

***

You waved goodbye to the Nekoma's players, promising that you'll keep in touched with them. The week of training has finally come to an end and you were more than happy to go straight home and sleep for the next hundred years or so. After the argument you had with Tsukishima, you were avoiding him as you were afraid that you might have the cross line. Despite the way how you two act around each other, you have come to consider the string bean as your friend. Well, some what. Throughout the way back to school, Tsukishima and you walked behind everyone else as silence surrounded you too. 

You bit your lips as you kept glancing back and forth at Tsukishima, not sure if you should speak up or not.

"If you want to say something to me then say it. Honestly you look quite ridiculous with the way how you're acting." Tsukishima said in boredom, not looking at you. 

Your (e/c) eyes twitched as you glared at him. "Here I am trying to apologize to you and this is how you act. How on earth do you expect me to say sorry when you are not exactly making it easy for me?"

You began mumbling under your breath about how rude the string bean was and doesn't deserve a apologize when sunddenly Tsukishima softly said. 

"I'm sorry. And for the record, I don't hate you." 

Your eyes widen in surprise, not expecting the apology at all. You grinned evilly as you saw the tip of Tsukishima's ears turning red, his eyes avoiding all contact with. Tsukishima's golden eyes narrowed when he saw the sly smirk on your face as you stood before him. 

"Aww, is string bean embarrassed?" You teased Tsukishima.

Irk marks appeared on Tsukishima's forehead before he gave you a blank look, simply pressing a spot on your head. You immediately clutched your head in pain as you cursed the middle blocker.

"TSUKISHIMA YOU ASSHOLE! WHAT WOULD YOU DO THAT FOR? NOW MY HEAD HURTS!"

Tsukishima simply smirked at you as you glared at him with tears of pain in your (e/c) eyes. For the rest of the night, you and Tsukishima fall back into the same routine - him irritating the hell out of you while you simply cursed him. Despite the argument you both had earlier on, you knew that Tsukishima was genuinely sorry although he didn't show it. That little tsundere string bean. 

You smiled at Tsukishima at the thought of him not hating you. 

"Why are you smiling at me so creepily?"

"Hey, my smile isn't all that creepy!"

"Right as if I will believe you."

"SHUT UP YOU FOUR-EYED STRING BEAN!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there my readers!  
> I hope you're enjoying my story so far. Tsukishima is still being the asshole string bean that he is, but it doesn't matter as we all love him. In the next chapter, I will be focusing more on the relationship between the salty middle blocker and (name)-chan as I felt that their screen time together isn't enough. So, if you have ideas on what I should write about, let me know in the comment! Thanks and happy reading!
> 
> Love,  
> Rainbend


	5. Part 1: Chapter 5

You yawned as you made your way to Class 1-4, settling into your seat. You planted your face onto the desk as you left out a groan, maybe staying up late watching anime on a school night was a bad idea. You folded you arms as you rested your head on it, maybe you could rest for a while before class starts. Soon enough, you were asleep. 

Tsukishima walked into the classroom with Yamaguchi next to him who was babbling about who knows what. Despite always having his headphones on, the green-haired pinch server never failed to always strike a conversation with Tsukishima. As Tsukishima approached his seat, he was met with a surprised sight. (h/c) hair pooled around your face like silk as you gently breathe in and out, the sunlight coming from the window enhancing your features. This sight of you was not familiar to Tsukishima as he was used to a loud, boisterous and most of the time, angry Ukai (Name).

"....Tsukishima..."

Tsukishima's golden eyes widen when he heard you mumbling his name in your sleep. Your eyebrows furrowed as you continued on dreaming. The middle blocker stared at you with curiosity in his eyes, wondering what on earth were you dreaming about. Could it be that you were dreaming about him? After all you did just mumbled his name in your sleep.

Unknown feelings stirred within the blonde-haired male as Tsukishima waited in anticipation. What was he anticipating, the first year had no clue. But Tsukishima knew that he was definitely waiting for something to happen.

"...I...love..you..string...bean.."

Tsukishima's eyes widen as a huge blush blossomed across his face, reaching till his ears. Of all things, this wasn't what he was expecting. Since when on earth did you fall for him? Tsukishima wrecked through his memories, trying to recall if you did anything that showed you love him. But instead, memories of you shouting at him came to Tsukishima's mind. (I made Tsukishima a bit occ here. But then again, Tsukishima rarely had anyone who he considered a friend, although he wouldn't admit it, confessed their love to him.)

"Do you really think I would mean that?" 

Since Tsukishima was busy panicking over what you said earlier on that he did not see that you were awake, your (e/c) eyes peering up at him. You were smirking as Tsukshima who just stared at you dumbfounded, not knowing how to react. You straightened up as you stretched your arms, yawning. "You know it's rude to stare at someone while they're asleep."

Finding his voice, Tsukishima glared at you as he said. "You were awake the entire time?"

You propped your arms up as you leaned your head against it, replying. "I woke up the moment I heard Yamaguchi's voice."

"Then why didn't you say anything?"

"Well yesterday I came up with the idea that if I were to fall asleep at your desk, how would you react. And you, my friend, had the best reaction ever. I wish I had my camera though."

Tsukishima simply stared at you blankly as you began mumbling that you should have asked someone to help you record Tsukishima's reaction. Tsukishima raised his hand as he poke your head, the next thing you know, you were rolling around on the floor as you clutched your head in pain.

"TSUKISHIMA TEME! THAT REALLY HURT!"

"Tch. Serves you right."

Tsukishima stepped over you as he settled into his seat, completely ignoring you. Meanwhile you continued lying on the floor, too lazy to get up until your homeroom teacher walked into the class. 

"Ukai-san, please get up from the floor and return to your seat. Class is about to start." 

You stood up and returned back to your seat, sticking your tongue at Tsukishima who simply continued to ignore you. Huffing, you took out your stationary and notebook as you tuned out what your teacher said. Right now, what's more important on your mind was that you had made it your mission to annoy a certain string bean for the rest of the day.

It's about time since you get your revenge against Tsukishima Kei. 

***

All the students moved out of the way as Tsukishima walked down the hallways. People were literally jumping out of the way in fear as waves of anger rolled off the first year, Tsukishima's eyes glaring daggers at anyone who dared to look him at him. Tsukishima was pissed. He was so pissed that his face was as black as the night sky. Now what on earth have trigger this side of the middle blocker considering he is usually either emotionless unless he's annoying people. Two words: Ukai (Name). That's right. For the entire morning, the (h/C) haired girl has been going out of her way to make Tsukishima's day miserable. Currently, Tsukishima was looking for said female who had ran off with his headphones to who knows where. 

Tsukishima's mood darkened as the events of his entire morning came to mind. 

_English Period:_

_"Can someone please volunteer themselves to read from this extract?" Class 1-4 teacher asked, looking at all the students who were trying to hide behind their textbooks._

_He was about to pick someone when suddenly a female voice rang throughout the class. "Sensei! Tsukishima-kun kindly volunteers himself to read."_

_Tsukishima's eyes widen before narrowing as he hissed at you, trying to pull down your arm that was raised. "Oi! What earth are you doing? Don't just go around volunteering me. Why don't you do it yourself?"_

_Everyone in class, including the teacher looked at the duo as you raised your voice, making sure that everyone could hear you. "But Tsukishima-kun, your English is the best in class. Isn't that right, Sensei?"_

_The English teacher of Class 1-4 pushed up his glasses as he cleared his throat when he saw that Tsukishima was glaring at him. "Erm...Does anyone else want to volunteer themselves?"_

_The teacher was met with silence and realized that no one else wants to volunteer themselves, he chose Tsukishima instead. "Tsukishima-san, I would really appreciate if you can read out aloud to the class. Thank you."_

_Tsukishima grabbed his textbook tightly in his hands, crushing the pages as he glared at you who was simply smirking up at him. Gritting his teeth in anger, Tsukishima began to read out aloud, an edge to his voice._

_Everyone sweat dropped at the way how Tsukishima was reading as well as scowling at you who simply gave him an innocent smile. Once Tsukishima was done, he sat down as the teacher went on with class, ignoring what just happened. Yamaguchi simply stared at his friend in concern. For the rest of the period, Tsukishima was glaring holes into the back of your head as you simply ignored him and pay attention in class._

_This was simply just the beginning._

_Science Period:_

_Tsukishima's eyes twitched in anger as he stared at his worksheet which had been reduced to ashes. The male turned his harsh glare onto a certain (h/c) haired female who gave him an innocent look, both her arms behind the back as she hid the lighter._

_"Gomenasai string bean. I swear it was an accident."_

_Tsukishima clenched his hands as he tried to hold his anger at bay, having the huge urge to punch his classmate. But if he were to do that, he would most likely be suspended from school and volleyball. With the inter-high just around the corner, Tsukishima could not afford to be suspended from the volleyball team, not that he care._

_It was science period now and unfortunately for Tuskishima, he was paired up with the one person that he didn't want to be with. Yes my friend, our salty beanpole was paired up with the one and only Ukai (name). They were currently doing an experiment and all was going well until you set his worksheet on fire. Despite you claiming to be an accident, Tsukishima was 100% certain that you did it on purpose._

_Not wanting to cause a scene, Tsukishima simply raised his hand to ask his teacher for a new worksheet, saying that his worksheet accidentally caught fire as it was placed next to the burner. The science teacher warned Tsukishima to be more careful next time as he handed him a new set of worksheet. Tsukishima thanked his teacher before turning to face you who was trying to escape to your friend's side._

_Tsukishima grabbed the back of your uniform, preventing you from escaping. You nervously rubbed the back of your neck as you stared up at the middle blocker who was glaring down at you._

_"Hey string bean, what's up? Do you get it since you're so tall and everything? Okay, I should shut up now." You said as Tsukishima's glare intensified._

_"Do you plan on dying at a young age? If not, then I suggest you stop now or I will personally arrange your funeral for you." Tsukishima smirked as you nodded your head, quivering in fear._

_Satisfied_   _a_ _t the sight of you quivering in fear, Tsukishima returned to whatever he was doing and making sure to keep both the lighter and his worksheet out of your reach. He did not need a repeat the same thing._

_Mathematics Period:_

_"Okay, I want everyone to find a partner and get started on the worksheet." Class 1-4's math teacher instructed as the sound of chairs scrapping on the floor could be heard as students went to find either a friend or classmate._

_Tsukishima remained in his seat as he stared out the window, knowing that Yamaguchi would made his way over to his desk. At the sound of someone seating down at his desk, Tsukishima turned to face Yamaguchi. Or at least it was supposed to be Yamaguchi. Instead, seating directly from Tsukishima was none other than you as you gave the middle blocker a bright smile._

_"What are on earth are you doing here? Where's Yamaguchi?" Tsukishima asked as he narrowed his eyes at you. After the way how you treated him during Math and Science periods, Tsukishima was suspicious of you._

_Feigning hurt, you placed your hand on your heart as you dramatically replied. "Is this how you talk to a friend, String bean-kun?"_

_"Only a certain munchkin."_

_Your (e/c) eyes twitched at Tsukishima's comment about your height as he simply smirked you. You ignored him as you gave a bright smile, saying. "Let's start on the worksheet."_

_Tsukishima looked at you in suspicion as you took out your pencil and began doing the worksheet. After a while, Tsukishima started on his worksheet as well. Silence surrounded the two of you as your classmates chanted on in the background. As the silence went on, Tsukishima began to relax slightly, thinking that you were finally leaving him alone._

_But then again, this was you that we were talking about._

_Another five minutes passed as the two of you continued doing your worksheet in silence. That was until you let out a scream, everyone in class turning to see what happened._

_"TUSKISHIMA YOU HENTAI! HOW DARE YOU TRY TO UP SKIRT ME?"_

_Tsukishima's eyes widen at your disclaimer as murmurs broke out throughout the room. You shed crocodile tears as (Y/B/F) rushed to comfort you as she glared at Tsukishima._

_"HOW DARE YOU TAINT (nickname)-CHAN'S INNOCENCE YOU HENTAI?!"_

_Tsukishima turned to Yamaguchi who sat in his seat, staring at his childhood friend in shock, begging the pinch server for help._

_You continued "crying" as some of your classmates tried to pull (Y/B/F) apart from Tsukishima who had detached herself from you and was screaming bloody murder at the middle blocker. Your teacher was asking everyone to remain quiet as she tried to keep the class under control. Meanwhile Tsukishima tried to defend himself, saying that you were lying._

_At this point, Class 1-4 was in chaos thanks to two certain volleyball players._

_"TSUKISHIMA YOU HENTAI! HOW DARE YOU TRY TO UP SKIRT ME?!"_

_Kageyama's eyes widen as he heard your scream, wondering what on earth was happening in class 1-4. The blueberry setter thought that Tsukishima didn't like you, but he wasn't expecting his teammate to go as far as doing something like up skirting you. Kageyama shuddered as he vowed not to get on Tsukishima's bad side. Who knew what the middle blocker would do to him._

_Lunch Period:_

_Tsukishima rested his head on his arms, too exhausted after what happened during math period. Yamaguchi simply stared at his friend in pity, feeling sorry for him. You were currently at the canteen with your friends, buying your lunch. Music played softly into Tsukishima's ears through his headphones when he heard a voice that belong to a certain (h/l) (h/c) haired female who has been making his morning miserable._

_"Oi string bean! I got you something to eat."_

_Tsukishima opened his eyes as they narrowed at the strawberry shortcake in front of him. Despite strawberry shortcake being his favorite food, he wasn't going to take a chance with you. Who knew what have you done to an innocent looking cake? You rolled your (e/c) eyes as you stood with arms crossed._

_"Dude, I didn't add poison to the cake if you're wondering. Just so you know, I bought this from the school canteen which mean it's free from poison."_

_"You could have added poison to the cake for all I know."_

_"I might have mistreated you this morning, but I'm not that evil where I would poison a person for my own entertainment purposes."_

_Tsukishima picked up the fork as he cautiously took a bite out of the strawberry shortcake. He only relaxed when the familiar sweetness burst in his mouth. Tsukishima continued eating as he curiously asked. "Why did you buy me a strawberry shortcake? I thought you hated me?"_

_You nervously rubbed your neck as a light blush blossomed on your cheek. "This is my apology to you for what I did to you this entire morning. I might have went to far with my antics."_

_Tsukishima let out a snort at your comment. You glared at him as you corrected your wording. "Fine, I went overboard with my antics. Happy now?"_

_"That would be understandable."_

_"Tch just eat your cake you overgrown beanpole."_

_A easy conversation took place as you chatted to Yamaguchi about the strategies that you have planned for the team while Tsukishima silently ate his shortcake. Tsukishima stared at you as you let out a laugh at what Yamaguchi said. You weren't that all bad when you're not being so annoying to the middle blocker, not that Tsukishima would admit it at all._

_The school bell rang, indicating that classes were over. Tsukishima stood up and picked his bag up, getting ready to go for volleyball when he felt his headphones being snatched off from his neck. By the time he turned around to see who took his headphones away, you were already out of the door and down the hallway. At this point, Tsukishima was beyond pissed. He could tolerate you setting his worksheet on fire or even accusing him of being a pervert. But stealing his headphones was the last straw. No one, and I mean no one, gets away alive for touching Tsukishima's precious headphones._

Hence this brings us back to Tsukishima who was making his way down the hallway, trying to find where you have run off to while Yamaguchi struggled to keep up with his childhood friend.

"Tsukki! Wait for me!"

Tsukishima stopped for a moment when he realized that rushing about like this wasn't going to get him anywhere. He took a deep breath as he tried to think where you could be hiding when suddenly a grin made its way onto his face. Once Tsukishima gets his hands on you, you are a dead meat.

"Tsukki! Your face is scary!"

***

"Get out of the way idiots. I know the munchkin is hiding in there. I'm not stupid." 

Tsukishima glared at the two first years who were standing in front of the club room door, preventing him from going inside. 

"Wh..what makes you think (name)-chan is in the club room?" Hinata nervously said, refusing to meet Tsukishima in the eyes. 

Kageyama simply stood next to Hinata, rigid as a stone as he nodded his head. 

Tsukishima let out a sigh, too tired to deal with the idiot duo and simply pushed them aside as he opened the door to the club room.

Meanwhile, you were quivering in fear in the club room knowing that Tsukishima was outside. You were terrified to the core, maybe taking Tsukishima's headphones and running off with it wasn't the brightest idea. After all, this headphones was the string bean's precious baby. Earlier on when you were trying to escape from your death, you met Kageyama and Hinata who agreed to hide you from the blonde. 

When you heard the pained voices of Hinata and Kageyama who were being pushed away by the string bean, you began to pray fervently for your life. 

"The moment you took my headphones from me, you had already signed your death warrant with the devil." 

You let out a shriek as you saw Tsukishima entering the club room, a glint in his glasses that prevents you from seeing his eyes. You nervously walked backwards as you stared at the evil grin on the middle blocker's face. Your face paled severely when your back touched the wall, knowing that your escape was denied. Tsukishima remained silence as he continued to approach you like a predator. 

"No..now..string bean, I was just playing with you. Your headphones is perfectly fine, see?" You stuttered, lifting Tsukishima's headphones to show him that it was in perfect condition. 

"First you volunteer me during english, then you set my worksheet on fire. Last but not least, you made me sound like a pervert. And now, you took my headphones from me. This only means death. I wonder if I were to kill you and hide your body here, will anyone notice that you're gone?" Tsukishima spoke as his hair hid his eyes from you. 

You gulped down nervously at his words. You are so dead. 

Outside the club room...

Yamaguchi nervously paced back and forth while Hinata and Kageyama nursed the bruises on their heads when they fell down just now.

"Damm you Tsukishima..." Hinata muttered as he rubbed his head. 

Kageyama simply glared at the wall, planning Tsukishima's murder in his head. 

"TSUKISHIMA STOP! I'M SORRY! I PROMISE I WOULDN'T DISTURB YOU ANYMORE!" 

"Once you sign your death warrant with the devil, no mercy would be shown to you."

The three first years' eyes widen as they heard your scream and Tsukishima's sadistic voice. Worry for you gnawed inside of them, hoping that you were fine.

Suddenly, nothing could be heard from inside the club room. The three volleyball players stood there, wondering what's going on inside.

Tsukishima came out of the room as he dusted his hands, saying. "Yamaguchi, let's go and get change."

Yamaguchi nervously replied. "What about (name)-chan?"

"She's fine. Now let's go."

With that Tsukishima picked up his bag and went down the stairs, heading towards the changing room. Yamaguchi glanced at the club room door before following after Tsukishima. Hinata and Kageyama rushed into the club room, worry for their friend growing.

Daichi, Suga and Asahi were heading to their club room when suddenly they heard the familiar scream of Hinata. They rushed into the club room, wondering what the hell was causing the ball of sunshine to scream. When they entered the club room, the third years were beyond shock. The freak spike-and-toss duo were frantically trying to get you to respond while you simply sat there staring at the wall, your face as pale as a ghost.

"What happened here?" Suga gently asked, worried at the sight of you.

Hinata wailed as Kageyama mumbled, "Tsukishima."

With that name alone, the third years knew what happened as they gave a sigh. Thank goodness that nothing horrible happen here, except maybe for you.

Sometimes, they could not simply understand the relationship going on between you and that middle blocker.

***

Everyone stared at you as you sat on the gym floor lifelessly.

"Ano, is (name)-chan alright? She's been acting this way ever since club activity started." Asahi asked as you trailed absentmindedly after your brother who called your name.

"I'm not sure if she's fine. According to Yamaguchi, (name) has been disturbing Tsukishima the entire morning. Apparently out of anger, Tsukishima did something to her alone in the club room. What he did, no one knew because it was just the two of them alone in there." Daichi explained, feeling worried for you.

"HOW DARE THAT SALTY BEANPOLE TAINT OUR PRECIOUS LITTLE CROW?!" Tanaka and Nishinoya shouted in anger, ready to release all their wrath onto the blonde.

Suga hit the two second years on the head, scolding them. "Don't be stupid. I'm sure Tsukishima wouldn't do anything inappropriate to her." 

The volleyball players continued to look at as you returned back to staring at the gym walls, a blank look in your (e/c) eyes. They were not sure what to make of this situation as they have not seen you like this before. You were usually full of life, a light in your eyes that never seemed to go out that was until today. Whatever Tsukishima has done to you in the club room must have been so traumatizing that left you in this state.

Tsukishima made his way to you with a smirk. "Oi munchkin. If you don't fetch me my water bottle, I'll show everyone that  _picture_."

Your (e/c) eyes widen in fear as you scrambled onto your feet, running off to do what Tsukishima asked you off. Everyone glanced at Tsukishima warily as he approached them with a smug look on his face.

"What did you do to (name)?" Daichi asked, an irk mark on his head.

"It was nothing." Tsukishima answered monotonously.

"It's not nothing if she's acting until like this." Suga warned Tsukishima, his motherly side surfacing.

Everyone shuddered in fear when Tsukishima explained to them what he did to (name). ' _Poor girl._ ' All the boys thought as they stared at you in pity who shaking in fear as Tsukishima took a drink out of his bottle before commanding you to do something else.

Throughout practice, you were practically like a ghost unless Tsukishima spoke to you then do you shivered in fear. Never in their life have they seen the prideful Ukai (name) quivering in fear in front of Tsukishima Kei, it was truly a bizarre sight to behold.

***

You pouted, your face half-hidden in your jacket. You were exhausted after practice as Tsukishima practically making you running back and forth, doing errands for him. Every time you refused, the middle blocker would not hesitate to threaten you, saying that he will show that picture he took to everyone. The picture  **was** that embarrassing. 

'Damm you string bean. I swear I will get revenge on you for doing this to me.' You thought bitterly as you followed the volleyball players behind who was heading to your family's store for some buns. 

You let out a "oof" when you felt someone putting their arm on your head. You glanced up to see Tsukishima who was smirking at you. Irk marks appeared on your forehead as you gritted your teeth in anger. "What do you want now you string bean? I already did all that you asked me to."

Tsukishima simply shoved a paper bag into your face before walking off. You stared at Tsukishima curiously as you opened the paper bag, steam coming out of it. Inside the paper bag was a steaming bun. Your (e/c) eyes widen as you took it out of the paper bag and bit into it. Spiciness danced onto your tongue as you closed your eyes in bliss. Tsukishima had gotten you your favorite bun - curry bun.

"Thank you string bean!" You shouted before joining Hinata and Kageyama who were challenging one another to see who can finish their buns first.

"You're welcome, munchkin." Tsukishima replied under his breath, a small smile on his face.

"Tsukki, your face is glowing."

"Shut up Yamaguchi."

"Gomen Tsukki."

***

Tsukishima placed his pencil down as he took a short break, his headphones on his head. When suddenly his phone's light blinked up at him, indicating that he received a message. Tsukishima flipped his phone opened to see who had sent him a message.

**[20:00] Munchkin:**

**Doesn't my cat looks cute?!**

**Image attached.**

Tsukishima opened the image, it was picture of you and your cat. You had the brightest smile on your face. Tsukishima softly smiled at the image, thinking that you somewhat looked cute. Not that he would admit it being the tsundere beanpole that he was. 

**[20:05] Salty String Bean**

**Tch. The cat looks as stupid as its owner.**

Your eyes twitched in anger at Tsukishima's reply. You turned to your cat who was licking its paw as you cooed at him. "It's fine Yuki, I think you look adorable. The string bean is just jealous that you look better than him.

Your cat meowed in agreement.

**[20:07] Munchkin**

**Why you string bean! I think you're just jealous that my cat's better looking than you.**

**[20:08] Salty String Bean**

**Hmm, maybe you're right. But there's something way cuter than your cat.**

**[20:09] Munchkin**

**What is it? I bet it can't be as cute as Yuki.**

**[20:10] Salty String Bean**

**Image attached.**

You raised your brows curiously as you opened the image, wondering what on earth did Tsukishima sent to you. Your face exploded into all 50 shades of red as you realized what picture that damm beanpole has sent to you. 

**[20:12] Munchkin**

**YOU BETTER DELETE THAT PICTURE OR ELSE I WILL PERSONALLY MURDER YOU TOMORROW!!!! GOOD NIGHT!**

You flipped your phone shut as you hide underneath your blanket, your face burning as you scowled.  _'Curse you overgrown string bean!'_

Tsukishima chuckled as he read your message before existing the app, knowing that you wouldn't reply him. Tsukishima got ready for bed as he packed his bag for tomorrow. After doing his night routine, Tsukishima settled into his bed and checked the time on his phone.

A picture of you blushing as red as a tomato as he kissed you on the forehead in the club room staring back at him from his phone screen. 

 

 

 


	6. Part 1: Chapter 6

"Alright class, please settle down. I have an announcement to make." Your homeroom teacher announced as she placed her things on the desk, facing her students.

Everyone returned to their seat, wondering what their teacher has to tell them. It was after lunch break and you were discussing with Yamaguchi on how he can improve on his float serve while Tsukishima took a short nap when your teacher came in.

"Tsukishima-san, can you please wake up and keep your headphones?" Your teacher said as everyone shifted their attention to the blonde who was sleeping away.

"..."

Yukino-sensei was met with silence as Tsukishima slept on, an irk mark appearing on her forehead. The reason Tsukishima wasn't responding was because music was playing loudly from his headphones, blocking out all outside noises.

You snickered as Yukino-sensei approached Tsukishima, having enough patience. You watched with glee as your teacher pulled off Tsukishima's headphones and shouted into his ear.

"TSUKISHIMA KEI! WAKE UP NOW!"

Upon his name being called, Tsukishima's body shot up as he glanced around in confusion, his glasses askew. Not being able to contain yourself, you started laughing out aloud as everyone joined in. After all, it's not everyday that the smartest student in class get called out for sleeping in class. At this point you were rolling on the floor laughing non-stop as a light blush settled on Tsukishima's face. He glared at you as you stopped laughing and in a sing-song voice, you said.

"Looks like someone is in trouble~" 

Tsukishima was about to retort back when Yukino-sensei spoke in a loud voice, shutting the whole class up. "If you don't stop laughing, everyone will stay back to clean up the school gym!"

All the students paled at their teacher's threat and immediately faced the front, not daring to breathe a single word. Yukino-sensei gave a nod before facing Tsukishima once more, a stern look on her face.

"Tsukishima-san, you are to stay back after school to clean up the classroom."

"But I have volleyball training." Tsukishima protested, feeling a bit panicky that he had to miss out on practice what with the inter-high prelim just around the corner. 

"It's not like you care much for practice anyway." Tsukishima glared at you as you muttered under your breath.

Unfortunately for you, Yukino-sensei heard your remark and decided to issue the same punishment to you as well. 

"Since Ukai-san had something to say, she will join you in staying back to clean up the classroom as well."

"But sensei, I can't! I have volleyball-"

"You can attend your training after you have clean the classroom. The faster you clean, the faster you finish. End of discussion." Your teacher cut you off before heading back to the front of the class.

(Y/B/F) looked at you with pity in her eyes as you slumped against the chair, your soul could be seen leaving your mouth. Your brother is so going to kill you once he found out why you were late to training. Tsukishima just smirked at you as he said.

"Serves you right for laughing at me. You deserve it after all."

You turned to glare at the megane, scowling. "Shut up string bean! You are in the same boat as me."

"Tch."

At this point, there was a full out staring war between you and Tsukishima. Meanwhile your teacher deadpanned at the way how both of you were acting. Sometimes, Yukino can never understand why the two smartest students in her class acts like five years old. It will forever remain a mystery to her.

"If the two love birds are done looking into each other eyes, I shall proceed with my announcement."

"What? I hate this string bean, sensei!"

"Tch, as if anyone wants to be with this idiot."

Both you and Tsukishima stated at the same time. 

"I was just kidding. It's just that the way how you two look at each other so intensely make me assume that you are in a relationship." Yukino-sensei replied nonchalantly, a small smirk playing on her lips.

Everyone in class snickered as you let out a groan and buried your face in your arms. You liked your teacher, but sometimes she can be too much.

***

"God dammit! Why do people always like to write that high up on the whiteboard? How do you expect people to clean it?!" You complained as you attempt to wipe off the writings on the top of the whiteboard.

It was after school and as punishment, you and Tsukishima were staying back to clean up the class. Yamaguchi being the nice guy that he was, offered to help out even though he could have left for training. Bless that boy! So far, the three of you were almost done cleaning the classroom and all that's left was cleaning the whiteboard which you had volunteered to do so.

Unfortunately that was the worst mistake ever as you struggled to reach the top of the whiteboard. Sometimes you really curse yourself for being so short. Tsukishima just stood there with his arms crossed, a smirk on his lips as you jumped up and down like an idiot.

"I wouldn't have any problem cleaning the whiteboard." Tsukishima teased you, making fun of your height.

"You know instead of standing there and making fun of me, you can help me out."

"Why should I help you? I already done my part in cleaning the class."

"One day I'm gonna grow taller than you and we shall see who will have the last laugh."

"I suggest that you start drinking milk. I heard that it actually help a lot."

"Tsukishima teme!"

Tsukishima ducked as you threw the duster in his direction, irk marks on your foreheads. You scowled when the duster missed Tsukishima, wishing that it had hit him in the face instead. Tsukishima simply smirked as you sat down on the floor, a pout on your face.

"Oi, get your dirty butt off the floor, I just clean it." Tsukishima said as he bend down to pick up the duster.

"Leave me alone, you overgrown beanpole." You sulkily said, still upset at the fact that you could not reach the top.

Tsukishima let out a sigh as he approached the whiteboard and began to clean it, leaving you to muttering about how maybe you should start drinking milk. The middle blocker wasn't planning to help you clean the whiteboard, it's just that he is going to be late for training. Or at least that was what Tsukishima told himself and it was not because the sight of you sulking tugged at his heartstrings.

You were still pouting until you felt Tsukishima poking you on the cheeks. You turned to face the string bean who was bending down to your height and still poking you on the cheeks. With an irritated look on your face, you swatted his hands away and said.

"Stop poking my cheeks, it's annoying!"

"Is that how you thank someone for helping you?"

"Huh?"

"I cleaned the whiteboard for you since you kept complaining and I had enough of your whining."

You turned around to face the whiteboard and sure enough, it was cleaned! You felt a smile tugged onto your face as you turned your attention back to the male.

"Thank string bean."

"Tch. Whatever. Now let's get going or else we are going to be late for training."

With that, Tsukishima stood up and grabbed his bag, heading out of the classroom. You sat on the floor for a few more seconds before scrambling to your feet to grab your bag. As Tsukishima opened the classroom door, he felt someone pulling onto his bag.

Feeling annoyed, Tsukishima said. "What do you-"

Before Tsukishima could finish his sentence, he felt your lips on his cheeks. Tsukishima's golden eyes widen as you pressed your lips onto his cheeks, a light blush on your face. The moment you released your hold on Tsukishima, the blonde's face burst into a brilliant shade of red as he shouted at you.

"W..what on earth are you doing?!"

You remained silence as your (e/c) eyes shifted right and left, refusing to meet Tsukishima.

When Tsukishima did not received an answer, he tried again. "Oi! Say something will you."

"FINE! I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME BACK THERE."

You shouted, your face matching Tsukishima's face. Tsukishima blinked once, twice at your answer before turning his face away from you and pushing his glasses, he replied.

"You know, a simple thank you would sufficed."

You were about to reply when suddenly Yamaguchi's voice interrupted you two. "Erm, am I interrupting anything?"

"Nothing, Yamaguchi. We were just about to leave for training. Come on or else we'll be late!" You let out a forced laughter before heading out of the classroom.

Yamaguchi stared at your retreating form as he curiously said. "Is (name)-chan okay?"

"She's just being her weird self. Let's go or else we'll be late." Tsukishima said.

"H-hai Tsukki!"

As Tsukishima headed in the direction of the gym, the cheek that you kissed was still tingling. When you kissed him on the cheek, Tsukishima's heart was racing so fast that he was afraid it was going to jump out of his chest. Tsukishima shook his head at your actions earlier on, deeming it as you just being your usual self.

But one thing for sure, Tsukishima felt that a happy you suited you way better than a sad Ukai (name).   

***

You, Tsukishima and Yamaguchi were heading towards the gym for volleyball training when you brought up the subject of what your homeroom teacher announced on earlier in class.

"Ne ne, do you think our class can win most of the events?"

You walked backwards as you asked your fellow classmates, facing them. 

Yamaguchi gave a smile as he answered, "I can't say for sure (name)-chan, but we do have some quite talented people in our class. Ain't that right, Tsukki?"

Tsukishima glanced down at you and Yamaguchi, letting out a simple "hn".

With an irritated look on your face, you said. "String bean, that isn't how you reply a friend."

Tsukishima simply poke you on the forehead and went ahead with Yamaguchi trying to match his pace. You turned to glare at the megane's back, too lazy to chase after him to get your revenge, after all you can always do it later. You let out a whistle as your thoughts drifted back to what your homeroom teacher said earlier on. 

_"As you know, every year Karasuno will have its annual sports festival and this year is no exception. There will be a line up of events for every class to participate in. This year, all Year 1 classes are going to compete with each other. Hence, I hope that those who have talents or is good at sports, I suggest you sign up for the field event you want to participate in. Both males and females events will be separated. Here's the paper for you to sign up. Please pass it to me by the end of this week."_

When you heard about the upcoming sports festival, you could barely contained your excitement. Being the sporty person you were, you had already signed up for at least 3 events to participate in. You planned to train for this events so that you can win prizes for your classmates, you could hardly wait for the day to come.

"Konichiwa minna-san! Your queen has arrived! Bow before me, you lowly peasants!"

Your voice echoing throughout the vast gym as you slam the door open, announcing your presence to the volleyball team. Immediately Nishinoya, Tanaka, Hinata and Kageyama bowed before you and praising you as you stood with your hands on your hips. The rest of the boys just laughed at your dramatic entrance and at the four idiots of the volleyball team. 

"Waa, looks like the zoo has arrived." Tsukishima commented as Yamaguchi snickered at his remarks.

Upon hearing Tsukishima's remarks, the temperature in the gym dropped by a few degrees. All the volleyball players began to back away except for Tsukishima who stood that with a smirk on his face as you began to approach him. Even Yamaguchi had back away, knowing better than to be near you. 

"Tsukishima is so dead." Tsukishima's eyes twitched when he heard what Hinata whispered to Kageyama. This is so absurd. The middle blocker would never understand why was everyone so afraid of you, it's not like you can do much damage to him what with you being short and small. Tsukishima just ignored his teammates as he continued to tease you, spurring you on.

"My my, you look angry. Did I say something that triggered you?"

At this point, your body was trembling in rage as you clenched your hands into fists. Honestly you had enough of this boy and his potty mouth, always spewing trash out. Tsukishima raised a brow at you as you stopped in front of him, your hair hiding your eyes. 

Everyone watched with bated breath, wondering what you were going to do. 

Silence consumed the gym until you jumped up as high you could to grab Tsukishima's glasses off his face before running away, all those years of volleyball training paid off. Tsukishima blinked his eyes in confusion, wondering why did his vision became blurry when he realized that you had run off with his glasses.

"GET BACK HERE WITH MY GLASSES! I CAN'T SEE!" 

Tsukishima's voice thundered throughout the gym as he tried to locate where you are, but failing miserably. For the next ten minutes, chaos erupted everywhere as Tsukishima tried to chase after you while you continued to tease the middle blocker, egging him on. Meanwhile everyone else was trying to help or at least keep the situation under control, but only making things worst.

My dear friends, this is a typical occurrence in Karasuno's Boys volleyball team when you mixed a certain (h/c)-haired libero and a blonde-haired middle blocker. 

***

As Keishin and Takeda approached the gym, they could heard loud noises coming from inside. The two adults glanced at one another, having an idea on what was going on or rather who was causing the noises. 

"What on earth is going on?"

Everyone in the gym turned their heads towards where the voice was coming from. Standing there with the gym door half opened was their coach, Ukai as well as their sensei, Tekada who was peeking out from behind Ukai, trying to see what was happening. 

Keishin raised an eyebrow at the sight before him. His sister's back was plastered on the wall with Tsukishima blocking her escape. The second years were holding onto the middle blocker while the first years minus Yamaguchi defended you. The third years were trying to keep everything under control. Honestly this reminded Keishin of when you and Tsukishima met for the first time. 

Letting out a sigh, Keishin entered the gym as he said. "Okay, break it up guys. Sensei and I have an important announcement to make."

It took a while for everyone to settle down and gathered in front of the adults, curious about what their coach and teacher were about to say. Once Keishin was sure that he had everyone's attention, he took a step back to let Takeda take over.

"Thank you Ukai-kun. Anyway, everyone know that Karasuno's annual sports festival is coming right?" Takeda asked.

Immediately, excited chatters broke out among everyone. Takeda smiled before he continued, "There is a tradition in Karasuno where two sports club activities will be taking part in the "exhibition match" after the field events. This year the two sports club activities chosen are the boys' basketball team and the boys' volleyball team."

"THE BASKETBALL TEAM? WHAT DO THEY WANT WITH US AGAIN?" Both Tanaka and Nishinoya shouted, fire burning in the background while Chikara, Kinoshita and Ennoshita nodded their heads. 

"Those jerks. After winning the exhibition match two years ago, they are still not satisfied?" Daichi muttered under his breath, a dark look on his face along with Suga and Asahi.

You glanced around in confusion at the second and third years' reaction to the announcement made by Takeda-sensei. Did the basketball team did something wrong? 

"Ano Suga, what's going on?" Yamaguchi asked the silver-haired setter. Suga glanced at the confusion displayed on all the first years' faces before replying.

"A very long time ago when Karasuno's Boys' volleyball team was considered as a powerhouse, there was a rivalry among the basketball and volleyball teams. The reason being that Ukai, (name)'s grandfather, was always leading the volleyball team to victory while the basketball team kept loosing. Soon enough, the coach of the boys' basketball team became angry and demanded that his team and Ukai's team have a match in either basketball or volleyball. He made the wrong choice by giving Ukai the choice to choose between volleyball and basketball, Ukai being Ukai, chose volleyball. The basketball team had no clue on how to play volleyball and lost against the volleyball team easily."

"But I don't understand how does it became a tradition?" Kageyama asked, feeling more even confused. 

Daichi added on, "This became a tradition because the coach of the basketball team kept demanding rematch after rematch. One year it would be volleyball, the next it would be basketball. So every year, one team would loose while the other team win, depending on the sport chosen. Due to that, both teams began to start learning about each other sports so that if their sport was not chosen, they'll have a shot at winning. This went on until Ukai left the volleyball team due to his injury and ever since then at every exhibition match, the volleyball team kept loosing. Basically, we became the mockery of the school."

Silence surrounded the gym as the first years let the information sinks in. Suddenly Kageyama spoke up, breaking the silence. "But we are going to win this year right?'

"I don't know, Kageyama. If the sport chosen this year is basketball, we wouldn't stand a chance as many of us here doesn't know how to play basketball. Meanwhile the basketball team is actually quite decent in volleyball because up till now, their coach is still the same coach as back then. He will always ensure that his players know how to play volleyball decently for this exhibition match." Ennoshita explained. 

The mood among the players began to drop, that is until Takeda stepped in and said. "Well, fortunately for us, this year the sport that we will be playing is volleyball. The basketball team chose to play volleyball, thinking that they could win against us. But what they didn't know is, we have a secret weapon."

As Takeda said that he pointed to both Kageyama and Hinata who looked at each other in confusion, wondering why were they the secret weapons. Tanaka let out a huge laugh as he placed both arms around the duo and said. 

"With the way how you two play volleyball, the basketball team wouldn't be able to see what's coming. They better be prepared!"

"Osu! We'll do our best!" Hinata and Kageyama exclaimed, determined looks on their faces. 

Once again, excited chatters broke out among everyone as they discussed about what strategies they can use against the basketball team as well the possibility of them winning after such a long time. 

Keishin clapped his hands to get everyone attention as he said, excitement could be heard in his voice. "We have another great news. Sensei talked with the principal and the principal allowed both females and males to participate in the exhibition match. Both sensei and I have discussed to allow (name)-chan to participate in the match as a libero besides Nishinoya-san."

"HUH?!" 

You shouted, shock written all over your face as everyone crowded around you, thrilled at the idea of you being part of the match. 

"At this rate, we are sure to win now that Karasuno's precious little crow is on board!" Nishinoya said as Hinata and Kageyama nodded their heads, agreeing with the libero.

"I hope that munchkin-chan wouldn't get step on during the match. Maybe she should play in walking stiles." Tsukishima mockingly said as Yamaguchi chuckled. 

Excitement bubbled inside of you at the thought of being able to play volleyball in an official match. You jumped to your feet as you shouted, pumping your hands into the air. "You can count on me! I promise that I will do my best and don't worry about what strategies to use because I will come up with some strategies that will bring our enemies to their knees!"

Everyone let out a cheer at your declaration, thrilled at the idea that they might win against the basketball team. Both Takeda and Keishin smiled as they looked at the high school students, pride swelling in them.

The volleyball players gathered in a circle and placed their hands on top of one another. On the count of three, everyone lifted their hands up and shouted, "KARASUNO!"

You can't wait to beat those basketball players' asses. 

***

**(A/N: I'm going to introduce the Generation of Miracles and Kagami from Kuroko no Basket in this scene. They are kinda like the bad guys here. So to all the KnB fans, I'm sorry for doing this but I thought it would be fun to try to include another sport anime in the story. Please don't kill me! >< Other than that, let's get back into the story!)**

"Daichi-san is going to treat us to buns!" Suga shouted as he ducked the punch that Daichi send his way.

"Are you sure your wallet will survive after this?" You teased Daichi, a playful look on your face.

"Don't worry about my wallet, I'm sure it will survive." Daichi replied back as you both go head to head with each other.

Asahi turned to Kiyoko and asked, "Will you be joining us, Shimizu-san?"

Kiyoko gave a small smile, replying. "Why not? After all, it's free."

"YAY! KIYOKO-SAN IS JOINING US!" Both Tanaka and Nishinoya shouted in happiness, flowers spewing out of them as they run around in circles.

"Stop it, you're both being too loud and it's already late at night." Ennochita scolded the two second years as he hit them on the heads. The rest of the second years sighed, feeling embarrassed for their friends. 

It was after practice and everyone was heading towards your family's store when all of you were stopped by the school entrance by a group of boys.

It was the basketball team.

Sparks could be felt as both the basketball and volleyball teams faced each other, staring at each other with hatred in their eyes.

The captain of basketball stepped forward as he addressed Daichi, a redhead named Akashi. 

"Is your team ready to admit defeat, Sawamura-san?"

The rest of the basketball team snickered at their captain's comment. Both Tanaka and Nishinoya were ready to fight them while the rest of the volleyball players gave them dark looks when Daichi smugly spoke up. 

"The real question is, is your team ready to admit defeat?"

"OOOOOOO!! Captain got burnt!" Someone from the basketball team said. 

"Shut up Kagami!" Akashi glared at his teammate before facing Daichi once more, going on. "I'll have you know that my team is going to win like we have been for the past few years. I just hope that your team is ready to face us."

Daichi gritted his teeth in anger as he replied. "Oh, I can ensure you that my team will win this year exhibition match for sure."

You were controlling yourself from going up to punch the basketball captain in the face when you felt someone leaning their arm against your head. Thinking it was Tsukishima, you were about to tell him to stop it when you realized that it was one of the basketball player.

This player was taller, if not taller than Tsukishima, his hair was two-toned red and black as his red eyes glanced down at you. His mouth was set into a smirk. 

"Get away from our teammate!" Hinata shouted as everyone turned their attention to you. 

Kagami ingnored Hinata as he spoke to his captain, something like lust dancing in his eyes. "Oi captain, can we keep this cute girl if we win?"

Your eyes twitched as you shoved his body, releasing his hold on you. "I'm not a toy or property! You can't just decide whether you want to keep me or not."

Kagami leaned down to your height and pat you on the head, cooing. "Aww how cute. I like my girls feisty, it adds taste into the relationship."

You were about to retort back when suddenly Tsukishima pulled you to hide you behind his back. With disgust dripping off his tongue, he said. "I'm sorry Carrot-head, but can you please back off? This girl here is mine, she's belongs to me. I would appreciate it if you don't treat her in such manners. It's rude."

Kagami's eyes narrowed at Tsukishima as he angrily replied. "Who do you think you are?"

"Tsukishima Kei, Class 1-4. That's who I am, in case you're wondering." Tsukishima replied calmly, even though Kagami was easily towering over him.

"Why you!" Kagami raised his hands ready to hit Tsukishima when you suddenly moved in front of him and grabbing the basketball player's arm, you flipped him onto his stomach. You placed you right foot onto Kagami's back and pulled at his arm, restraining his movement.

"This is not how you talk to my friend. And for your information, no one, not even string bean here owes me. I'm my own person. Do you understand?" You smiled sweetly at Kagami, a dark edge to your voice.

Kagami's eyes widen in surprise and fright. Surprise at the fact that a small girl like you managed to take him down and frightened at the fact that you looked like a murderer. Meanwhile everyone else stared at you in surprise at what you just did. I mean it's not everyday you see a 150cm female taking a male who was twice your height down, not to mention said male is heavy as well. 

You flipped your hair to the back as you explained. "I did martial arts from a young age."

All the boys drop sweat at your simply explanation, not knowing how to respond. You approached Akashi as you said, a warning tone in your voice.

"I suggest you leave my friends and I alone now. Or else I would report to the school about you causing trouble for us when we didn't do anything."

"What evidence do you have?" Akashi asked, a smirk on his face, thinking that he had you trapped. (In this story, Akashi isn't as smart as he is supposed to be in KnB.)

Your smirk only widened, causing Akashi to faltered slightly as you explained yourself. "I have been filming the entire process from the beginning, even the part where Carrot head-kun hit on me, in case you were wondering."

"Why you!" Aomine, a navy blue-haired male said.

Akashi grits his teeth in anger, knowing that he has been out cornered by a female nonetheless. Not wanting to be suspended from the exhibition match, he decide that him and his team will retreat for now and get their revenge on the court.

"Fine! You got away, but next time round you wouldn't be so lucky. My team and I will thrash you and your team on court. You better watch out."

"Oh sweetheart, I think you should be the one watching out. You have no idea who you are messing with. Besides, crows are known to be quite the sly creatures and we have a few tricks up our sleeves. We are no longer known as "Flightless crows". So, instead you should be the one watching out because we will be the ones thrashing you on court."

You replied darkly, your eyes hidden behind your (h/c) hair. Shivers crept up on everyone's spines at your threat. Who knew that underneath all those light, there are darkness lurking inside of you at the same time.

"Akashi-kun, I think we should leave before we get into trouble." A small voice spoke up.

Akashi turned to his teammate, a light blue-haired male and nod his head, agreeing with him. Without saying a single word, the basketball team turned and left. Cupping your mouth with one hand and the other waving at the retreating basketball team, you shouted as all traces of darkness left you, "Buh-bye! It was nice meeting you guys!"

"Now that we are done with all these, I'm hungry. Let's go and get some buns!" You exclaimed before skipping out of the school, humming a tune under your breath.

The rest of the remaining people still around just stared at you blankly before following after you. After all, the players were used to your random outbursts.

***

You sitting on the top of your roof, staring at the stars when suddenly your phone rang, indicating you received a message. 

**[21:30] Salty String Bean:**

**I just wanna thank you for saving me out there just now, even though I don't really need your help. Good night."**

You left out a chuckle at the way how Tsukishima thanked you for helping him out just now. Nonetheless, you were glad that you were able to help friend and it warms your heart at the fact that Tsukishima acknowledged you as his friend, somewhat. 

Flipping your phone close, you continued staring at the night sky.

_You're welcome, you salty tsundere._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there!
> 
> I have decided to change this story a bit. It is not much of a major change and it wouldn't affect the chapters I have written so far. So, this will be a three part story showing the developing relationship with Tsukishima and reader-chan. 
> 
> Here's a peek on what each part is about:
> 
> First part: the friendship (frenemy) that Tsukishima and Reader-chan has.
> 
> Second part: Both Tsukishima and Reader-chan falling in love with one another.
> 
> Third part: Love confession.
> 
> Thanks and happy reading!


	7. Part 1: Chapter 7

Your (e/c) eyes widen in excitement as you took in the sight before you. It was the day of Karasuno's annual sports festival and you have never seen the school that colorful before. Flags could be seen hanging throughout the school in rainbow colors, making the place festive and bright. Students could be seen standing along the corridor and outside their classes sporting on their class color headbands and cheering, their voices consuming the walkway. 

You could feel adrenaline coursing through your veins as you made your way to Class 1-4. You threw the door open as you shouted, announcing your arrival to your classmates.

"CLASS 1-4, ARE YOU READY TO KICK SOME ASSESS?!"

A loud cheer rang throughout the classroom as everyone became hyped up at the idea of winning "best class" award. Every year during the sports festival, one class from all three years would win the "best class" award if they managed to win most of the field events. This year, your class is aiming to win that award and be known as the best first year class throughout Karasuno. 

Michiko, the class chair as well as one of your best friends passed you your blue headband as she praised you. "Good job on rallying the class and hyping everyone up. I did a good job at picking you to be our head cheerleader."

"Of course! After all, I am the best!" You pointed a thumb towards yourself, a smirk on your face. 

Michiko simply laughed as you stood there, a huge grin on your face. "Yes, yes. Now, get ready. The field events are about to start and we need to head down soon."

You saluted Michiko as she walked away before heading over towards a beanpole who was sitting on his desk, his headphones blasting music into his ears. Tsukishima's eyes twitched as he stared at the sight below him. Students were shouting and cheering, making a ruckus as everyone got ready. Tsukishima let out a simple "tch", not understanding why was everyone making a huge deal out of everything. After all, it was just a sports festival.  

You pulled off Tsukishima's headphones and placed yourself on his desk, smiling at him. "What's with the irritated look on your face, string bean? It's the day of the sports festival, so cheer up. It would be rude of you if you're the only with a frown on your face."

Tsukishima glared at you for disrupting his peace before forcing a smile on to his face, sarcasm could be heard in his voice as he replied. "Better? Now leave me alone, munchkin."

Ignoring the nickname Tsukishima gave you, you enthusiastically went on. "That's the string bean I know! Now, are you ready to win your class some gold medals?"

"Tch. Unlike you, I'm not that crazy about winning. In fact, I was forced by a certain shortie to sign up for the 500m run." Tsukishima rolled his eyes at you.

"Now that's the spirit I'm looking for! Come come, it's time to head to the field! Don't forget to wear your headband!" You cheered as you tied your headband into a bow before attaching it to your ponytail.

Tsukishima stood up and followed after you as you skipped after your classmates. As Class 1-4 headed towards the school field, you chatted on excitedly about what you think is going to happen as Tsukishima looked on uninterested at what you are saying. 

You glanced up at Tsukishima who had a bored look on his face, but you knew otherwise. To others who did not know Tsukishima as well as you, Yamaguchi and his volleyball teammates, they would not able to see the excitement hidden in his golden eyes. 

You faced the front once more, a huge smile on your face. If Tsukishima, the most uninterested guy in the world, can get excited about a simple high school sports festival, you were even more pumped up to win as many golds for your class.

***

"The winner of the girls' 500m race is Ukai (name) from Class 1-4!" 

The host announced, his voice ringing throughout the school field. Class 1-4 let out a huge cheer, their voices reaching up to the clouds. You let out a huge smirk as you stood with your hands on your hips, not even looking like you are out of breath. Meanwhile, the rest of the girls from the different classes were panting for breath and some even were lying on the floor, looking like they have died.

Your (e/c) eyes landed on a certain pair of golden eyes as Tsukishima smirked at you and gave you a single nod. That was more than enough to tell you that Tsukishima was proud of you for coming in first. All those years of volleyball training has really paid off, the 500m run felt like a walk through the park to you. 

You smiled at the teacher as he placed the gold medal around your neck, your heart swelling with pride as you faced the crowd, your class cheering for you. As you held up your gold medal and raised it into the air, the medal glinting in the sunlight, the cheers grew in volume till the point it drowns out other noises. 

"Congratulations on winning first place! I'm so proud of you!" Michiko congratulated as you approached your class, pulling you into a hug.

You pulled back from the hug, a huge smile on your face as you thanked your class chair. "Arigatou Michiko-chan! I wasn't alone in this as well. Your cheers and encouragement gave me the confidence to win this race for class 1-4. I'm so proud of everyone!"

You directed the last part of your sentence to your classmates as they let out a huge shout, some even coming up to congratulate you personally. As everyone got ready for the next event, you headed in the direction of Tsukishima who was leaning against the tree, hiding away from the sun rays.

"I won a gold medal for the girls' 500m run. Do you think you can do it?" You smirked at Tsukishima who simply stared blankly at you.

The volleyball player pushed himself off the tree as he walked closer to you and patted you on the head, a gentle smile on his face. "Good job on winning the gold medal."

Your mouth dropped wide open as Tsukishima walked away, heading in the direction of Yamaguchi who glanced at you with a curious look. Your brain had short-wired at the fact that string bean had not only praised you, but smiled at you. He FREAKING smiled at you! Since when on earth did Tsukishima do that, in fact whenever do that beanpole ever smile? The world must be ending!

"Hmm, I approve." 

"AHHHH!!"

You let out a scream as you jumped into the air, your heart going a hundred miles per hour. Michiko stared down at you where you landed after Michiko appearing out from no where. She was standing there with a blank look, instead of helping you up. You scrambled to your feet as you plastered your back against the tree where Tsukishima was leaning against just now. 

"What the hell was that for?! And what do you mean you approve?"

Michiko simply shrugged and began eating a carrot that came out of no where, saying. "I approve of Tsukishima-kun, he'll take good care of a weirdo like you."

"What do you mean I'm a weirdo, you're the one who is weird. You're basically eating a carrot that appeared from no where."

"..."

"WAIT! WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU APPROVE OF STRING BEAN?!"

You shouted in indignation, panting for air. At this point your face was flaming while Michiko stood there with her arms crossed, a knowing look on her face.

"I'm saying that Tsukishima is the best person to look after you. I can't always be there to take care of you. One day I will be leaving you and for someone who has a mentality of a child, I can't trust you to be all alone in this harsh harsh world. You'll die! MY POOR BABY!"

Michiko wailed as she embraced you tightly, your face smooched into her breast and cutting off your air supply. You struggled against Michiko's tight hold on you as you pushed against her, your voice muffled as you said.

"Michiko-chan, let me go! I can't breathe!"

"Oops, sorry." Michiko apologized, not feeling sorry.

"You're not sorry at all." You deadpanned which Michiko returned with an innocent smile.

You were about to say something when suddenly the host's voice echoed throughout the field.

"Those taking part in the boys' 500m run, please make your way to the starting line."

Once you heard the announcement, you completely forgot about what Michiko said earlier as your face broke out into a huge grin. You grabbed Michiko's hand and run to the front of your class, dragging Michiko along like a rag doll.

"(nickname)-chan, please slow down. You're gonna pull out my arm."

"But it's string bean turn to run. He needs all the support we can give him, let's go!" You excitedly shout as you made your way to the front.

Suddenly, an idea came to mind. Your face broke into an evil grin, scaring Michiko who slowly backed away, not wanting to be involved in whatever you are planning to do. 

Sometimes Michiko questioned if there was something wrong with your brain.

Tsukishima took in a deep breath before opening his eyes, the golden hues sharpened that of like a crow. The middle blocker tuned out all noises as his mind was focused on one thing - to win this race. When Yukino-sensei announced about the sports festival, Tsukishima was planning to be a spectator when he found out that you had already signed him up for the boys' 500m run.

The blonde wanted to ask his teacher to remove his name from the list, but knowing you, you would have managed to convince Yukino-sensei to deny his request. So, he leave it be. At this point, Tsukishima was used to your usual antics. Besides, what harm would it bring him if he was to partake in the run.

"Students, please line yourself - GANBATTE STRING BEAN! WIN CLASS 1-4 A GOLD MEDAL!!!"

You cut off the host as you shouted into the microphone, your loud voice echoing throughout the field. Everyone present at the field turned their attention towards the stand where the host was situated at. To their amusement and surprise, a certain (h/c)-haired female was fighting with the host who was demanding to have his microphone back. Meanwhile, class 1-4 chair person was pulling on the girl, desperateness written all over her face as she tries to free the girl. 

Tsukishima face palmed at the sight of you, wondering what on earth was wrong with you. Seriously, you should have your brain checked to see if there is anything wrong with it. Other students who were racing against him faced him with confusion/curiosity in their eyes. 

"I don't know that girl at all." Tsukishima snapped, his eyes glaring at the other racers which caused them to shift their eyes else where. 

"I'm sorry about the disruption. We shall proceed with the event once more." The host announced, having control over the mike once more. 

Meanwhile, you could be seen dragging away by your classmates who was struggling against your wriggling body. You raised your fist into the air as you shouted angrily. "I will get revenge on you MC-kun! Watch my words!"

Michiko slapped a hand over your mouth, muffling your words as she sheepishly apologized. "I'm sorry about our classmate. There's something wrong with her, please ignore her. Thank you."

As Michiko said that, everyone began to laugh. At this point, you have given up and allowed your classmates to drag you away. However, when you passed by the starting line where Tsukishima was, your (e/c) eyes brightened up. You pushed your classmates away from you and cupped your mouth, shouting. 

"GANBATTE STRING BEAN! IF YOU WIN A GOLD MEDAL, I WILL TREAT YOU TO STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE!"

Tsukishima glared at you as Michiko once again covered your mouth as she pulled you away from the track. The middle blocker stared in amusement as he watched both you and Michiko argued. You might be a weird one that he was not planning to associate with the moment you stepped foot into the gym. However now Tsukishima could not imagine not having you in his life, bringing a storm with you wherever you go. 

"Get ready! On your mark, get set, GO!"

A bang could be heard as the gun went off, indicating that the race has started. You stopped arguing with Michiko as you excitedly shift your eyes to the track where Tsukishima had taken a lead and was currently in first place. Your face beamed with pride for string bean as he easily crossed the finishing line, a loud cheer coming from your class. 

Your (e/c) eyes came in contact with Tsukishima's golden ones as he stood there with a blank face despite winning first place. However, in his eyes, you could see that the middle blocker was happy at the fact that he won. You approached Tsukishima with a smirk on your face, him returning a smirk of his own.

"Congrats String Bean, you won first place."

"Tch. It felt like a walk through the park too be honest, waste of my time."

"I know right! I felt exactly the same way! Sometimes as a volleyball player, all this events feel like nothing compared to the training we go through." 

Tsukishima tuned you out as you continued to babble on, his attention focused on something else. You realized that Tsukishima was ignoring you and he was looking at something else instead of paying attention to you. 

"Oi! Pay attention to me when I am talking, string bean. It's rude of you to ignore me. Besides, what on earth are you looking at that is more important than me?" You complained, facing in the direction that Tsukishima was looking at. 

The sight greeted you had you scowling as your face darkened. Standing opposite of the track was none other than Kagami Taiga, the red-haired first year basketball player that you would be competing later on. Kagami shifts his attention where he and Tsukishima was staring at each other intensely to you when he spotted you scowling at him. 

Kagami simply gave you a smirk before turning his back to you and Tsukishima, walking away. Your face reflected confusion as you wondered what the hell just happened. You took a glance at Tsukishima who was rigid as a stone. Tsukishima's face was fixed into a frown, his hands clenched into fists as he continued looking towards the direction where Kagami was standing earlier on. 

"Are you okay, string bean? You look tense. If it is about Kagami, don't worry. We will kick his ass later on court." You said, trying to comfort the middle blocker. 

"Tch." Tsukishima's voice sharp as he shoved your arm away that was on his shoulders before turning on his heels and walked away. You rushed to match his pace, complaining about how rude of Tsukishima to ignore you when all you were doing is trying to comfort him.

However, all that was on Tsukishima's mind was the way how Kagami was looking at you just now. Kagami was looking at you as though he wanted to eat you or maybe taking you away from the middle blocker. Tsukishima had no clue why he was getting so worked up for, but one thing he know for sure was that he was not going to let anyone take you away from him. 

After all, when something belongs to Tsukishima, it belongs to him forever. Kagami has to think twice before Tsukishima would ever give you up. You're his. (Not that he will tell you or you will have his hide before he could even say "volleyball".)

**(A/N: I know I make it sound like Tsukishima is possessive of reader-chan, but that isn't really the case. The reason why Tsukishima act this way was because he was afraid that he would loose you to Kagami and he doesn't want that as he considered you as a good friend. When it comes to people, Tsukishima is cautious of them due to what his brother has done to him. However there was something about reader-chan that makes him feel the opposite. Tsukishima felt safe around you and that he could trust you, not that he would admit it. Hence why Tsukishima was protective of you. I hope this explains everything.)**

***

"Hinata, (name)! Get down from there instantly! It's dangerous!" Daichi shouted as he stormed his way towards you and Hinata. 

Hinata and you jumped off from the chairs that both of you were standing on and began running away from your captain who was chasing after you two, his face as black as his soul. ("Hey! My soul isn't black!" Oops, sorry Daichi. *shuffles away*)

The rest of the volleyball players laughed as they watched their captain trying to catch the two first years who were all over the place. It was currently lunch break now and the volleyball team was getting ready for the match against the basketball team.

"Now, now Hinata and (name). Stop teasing Daichi, he can't run that long. After all, he's getting old." Suga scolded both you and Hinata who stopped running and were apologizing, a guilty look on both faces. 

"Hey! I'm not an old man!" Daichi shouted at Suga who simply gave a shrug.

"Well, it's the truth."

Both Daichi and Suga began arguing as the rest of you looked on, enjoying the show. You ate some popcorn as you enjoyed the show before you. Suga and Daichi oddly reminds you of an old couple who were always arguing about the littlest of things.

"Ne ne, don't you think that Suga-senpai and Daichi-senpai remind you of an old couple arguing?" You asked, still munching on some popcorn that was currently being passed around. 

"WE ARE NOT A COUPLE!" Both Daichi and Suga shouted at their teammates, red in the face. 

"See?"

Everyone nodded their heads, agreeing to what you say. You gave the two volleyball captains a smirk as they glared at you, daring you to say something. 

"Well, I mean they are practically the father and mother of the volleyball team. Meanwhile, Asahi is the fragile uncle."

At this point, Daichi and Suga both were shouting in your face, denying the fact that they are the parents of the volleyball team. You just sat there with a blank look on your face, still eating the popcorn and not completely affected by the screaming going on. 

"Wait, why am I the fragile uncle?" Asahi asked timidly, but no one heard him as they continued to watch the scene unfolding before them.

Poor fragile Uncle Asahi.

***

"Karasuno's volleyball team won another point!"

You smirked at Akashi who was glaring at you with hatred in his monochromatic eyes as you wiped off the sweat. The exhibition match between Karasuno's Boys' volleyball and basketball team was currently going on and the score is 15 to 8 with the volleyball team in the lead. 

"I did say that my team and I were going to crash you." You said smugly as Akashi's glare deepened. 

"Tch!" Akashi let out before turning his back to you and walked back to his team, most likely to discuss strategies with his teammates. 

"Sugoi (name)-chan! That was amazing! Your strategy work against them!" Tanaka slapped you on the back as he praised you.

You gave him a smile with the peace sign as you winked. "Of course! This is why I'm the assistant coach."

Earlier on when the match began, your team were struggling to win point after point while the basketball team continued to win. No matter what your team tried, they could not seem to break past the basketball's defense. This came as weird to you considering that the boys should be able to win points easily as volleyball is what they live for. 

So, you began to observe the basketball team and their game play to figure what was preventing your team from winning points. After a few minutes of observation, you were able to figure out their game play. The basketball team was using a mixture of basketball and volleyball to play against your team. 

You asked your brother for a time out as you gathered your team and began to explain to them your new strategy. 

_The volleyball players gathered in front of their assistant coach, wondering what had she discovered._

_"Now, listen carefully to what I had to say. The reason why we are struggling to win points against the basketball team is because they are using a mixture of basketball and volleyball in their game plan."_

_"How is that possible?" Daichi asked you, confusion in his eyes._

_You shook your head and said. "I have no idea how they did that. But I came out with a plan that we can countered against their game play. This is how you do it..."_

_"Do you understand?" You asked your friends._

_Everyone nodded their heads in agreement, determination on their faces. You smirked at them as your (e/c) eyes fixed on the basketball team, smirks on their faces._

_"Good. Now it's time to kick some basketball asses."_

_It's time for the volleyball players to counteract and this time round, you were going to help them._

"Thank you, Suga-senpai." You thanked your vice captain as he passed you your water bottle. 

You took a huge gulp of water to re hydrate yourself when Asahi approached you, saying. "I want to thank you for telling Hinata to open up the way for me to spike the ball."

You beamed up at the ace. "No problem, Asahi-senpai. Once I figured out their game play, they were done for."

You turned to Hinata and Kageyama, praising them. "Hinata and Kageyama, good job on following my strategy. I know it was confusing when I first explained, but you guys did a splendid job nonetheless."

The duo gave a resounding "Osu!" as you laughed at their excitement. You glanced around at your teammates who were basically fooling around with one another, despite a match going on. Your eyes landed on Tsukishima as he approached you.

"Good job on putting in more effort, string bean. Although I feel that you could do better." 

"Are you praising me or lecturing me?"

"Both! I'm praising and lecturing you at the same time. Geez."

"..."

You gave a sigh as Tsukishima simply ignored your comment. What was the point of saying anything to this tsundere beanpole when half of the time he's ignoring you? Instead of wasting your time with this kind of people, you decided to join Hinata and Kageyama who was having a competition at who can finished their water the fastest.

They might be idiot, but at least they were ten times more fun than Tsukishima. 

"Good job." You heard Tsukishima as you took a step towards your idiotic friends' direction, your back facing him.

You turned around to reply when you realized that Tsukishima had already walked away. You shook your head as you smiled gently before saying.

"Such a tsundere."

***

"Daichi-san, nice receive! Tanaka-senpai, get ready to spike."

You shouted as you received the ball from Daichi and set the ball for Tanaka to spike. 

"I'm going to crash you, you carrot-head!" Tanaka shouted as he spiked the ball, but only to be blocked by Akashi and Aomine. 

You grit your teeth in frustration as your (e/c) eyes followed the volleyball, your mind working to come up with a strategy to help your team win points. Currently, it is the second set and the basketball team is leading with a score of 24 to 23. They are at match point and if you do not something fast, they are going to win the second set. 

Your team managed to win the first set with ease once you figured out their game play and come out with a strategy to counter against the basketball team. You thought that the basketball would continued to use the same game play in the second set and you were confident that the volleyball team could win against them. After all, volleyball isn't their strong suit. However, you had clearly estimated them.

The basketball ball still used the same game play, but with a slight twist to it. They even managed to counter against Kageyama's and Hinata's freak set-and-spike and all of your strategies were constantly shut down by them. At this point, you were feeling frustrated.

You watched as once again the basketball team blocked Hinata's spike, indicating that they have won the second set. You glared at Akashi who smirked at you, his eyes showing that he had you trapped. You took a step forward when suddenly you felt someone placing their hand on your shoulder. You turned around to see who was it and it was none other than Tsukishima.

You glanced up at Tsukishima who was looking directly into Akashi's red and pink eyes. His golden hues hiding behind his glasses as Tsukishima gave your shoulder a squeeze, saying. "We'll get them back in the third set."

With that, you and Tsukishima turned your back towards the basketball team as the both of you walked back towards the bench, where your teammates are. Seeing the smiles on your teammates' faces, you knew that you are not alone in this fight. 

After all, in volleyball, everybody on your side of the net is your ally.


	8. Part 1: Chapter 8

Blocked. Blocked. Blocked. 

It was the last set and Karasuno was not any closer to winning the match. At this point, Karasuno's Boys' volleyball players were getting frustrated at the fact they were constantly being blocked by the basketball players. You were beyond baffled at the fact how could the volleyball team who specializes in volleyball were loosing against the basketball team. 

The current score is 5-8.

You were sitting on the bench as the assistant coach now rather being out there on the court as the libero. Your team needs you to come out with a strategy fast or else the change of winning this match is close to zero. You watched the match with focused (e/c) eyes going on before you as you try to figure out what the basketball team's game play once more.

Keishin glanced at you, thinking of asking for a time out so that he could discussed with the players on how they can change their game play. However when he saw the concentrated look on your face, he calmed down and focused on the match once more. He need not worry about the team nor you, after all you were the best of the best.

 _'What is it about the basketball players that made them so hard to beat? The way how they play volleyball does not show that they are professional volleyball players like Kageyama or Daichi. So, what is that I can't seem to figure out?'_ You thought as your eyes followed each and everyone of the players. 

You observed each player individually, assessing their power, stamina, game sense, jumping, technique and speed. Their statistics seemed below average as compared to a volleyball player. Your (e/c) eyes shift from player to player until it landed on a certain light blue-haired basketball player.

You leaned forward as your eyes focused on Tetsuya Kuroko. There was something about this player that set him apart from his teammates. The first year is from your class and so far from your impression, Kuroko is a quiet and reserved boy. It is as though he does not have a presence. 

That's it! Your eyes widen as you finally figured out why your team was struggling against the basketball team. The answer was simply, it has been in front of your eyes the entire time. You mentally slapped yourself for not noticing it earlier. 

The reason your team was loosing is because of Kuroko. Kuroko lacks a presence which means during games, he is usually invisible on the court. With his lack of presence, his team's opponents focused on the other players instead of Kuroko. He used this to his advantage with his passes, in this case receives by directing the ball away from him to his teammates so fast that no one can focus their attention on him.

The reason you were able to notice Kuroko despite his lack of presence was because you have a knack of noticing people no matter how subtle they tried to be. That explains why when you met Kuroko for the first time and asked him for a pencil, surprise was written all over his face at the fact that someone actually noticed him. It also explained why whenever you mentioned Kuroko to your classmates, they will give you a confused look. 

You quickly turned to your brother and said. "Nii-chan, quick! Call for a time out! I figured out the basketball team's secret."

Keishin immediately called for a time out. The whistle beeped, indicating that the volleyball team had called for a time out. Your friends turned to you with confused/curious looks on their faces, wondering if you had figured something out. 

As the volleyball players approached you, they were surprised with the joyous look on your face. Well, you felt happy at the fact that you finally figured out their secret and that your friends might have a chance of winning. 

"You seemed rather happy (nickname)-chan. Have you discover something new about the basketball team?" Daichi asked as you passed him a towel to wipe off his sweat. 

You nodded your head as you excitedly replied. "I figure out why we are struggling to win against them. The reason is because one of their teammates lacks a presence."

Everyone gave you a confused look, especially Hinata and Kageyama who had their heads tilts to one side, a baffled look on their faces. You chuckled before explaining yourself, "Do you see that light blue-haired basketball player? Tell me, have you noticed him before until I mention him?"

All heads turned to the opposite of the court where the basketball team was situated at. Sure enough, there was a light blue-haired basketball player that they did not noticed before until you mentioned him. Your (e/c) eyes glinted with amusement as the boys turned their attention back to you, giggling at their expressions. 

"WHAT? WHY DIDN'T WE NOTICE HIM UNTIL NOW?!"Both Tanaka and Nishinoya shouted. 

"Shh! Not so loud or else they will know we have figured out their secret." You shushed your senpais before going on.

"His name is Tetsuya Kuroko. Kuroko-san lacks a presence which means he is always invisible to other people. Outside of court, it's a disadvantage as he always has to fight to be noticed. However when on court, it's a different case. The reason being that his team's opponents focused on the other players instead of him due to his lack of presence. Kuroko-san also used this to his advantage with receives by directing the ball away from him to his teammates so fast that no one can focus their attention on him."

"That explains why the volleyball on their side of the court never seemed to be received no matter how hard we try to locate it." Daichi explained, finally understanding why it was so hard to win points. 

"Now that we know this, what now?" Kageyama asked. 

Everyone looked to you for an answer. Lucky for them, you do have a solution. 

You grinned as you explained. "There's a downside to Kuroko's lack of presence. Once his lack of presence is noticed, it doesn't work as well as before. In lay man's term, Kuroko is visible to us now. We would be able to notice him on court while the match is ongoing. This means that whenever Kuroko pass the ball to his teammates, it would be visible to us."

"Go on." Suga encouraged you.

"Now that we discovered their secret, continue on playing like you did before. The only reason that the basketball team is winning is because of Kuroko-san. Now that he's exposed to us, they are only a bunch of students thinking that they can win against a bunch of professional volleyball players. It's time for us to show them that we are no longer "flightless crows"."

You pumped your hand into the air and the volleyball players did the same, their voice resounding throughout the gym. 

You smiled at the volleyball team that you have come to associate as friends and you would do anything just to see them win every single volleyball match that they will face. 

***

"Hinata! Get the last ball!" Daichi screamed as Hinata jumped as high as he could to spike the ball set by Kageyama, only to be blocked by the opposite team. 

You quickly dived to where the ball was heading and hitting back up into the air, giving your team another chance of winning the third set. Currently, your team is fighting to win the last point. The score is 24 to 20 with the volleyball team at match point. 

"Nice receive (name)-chan!" Kageyama shouted as he chased after the ball and looked into your (e/c) eyes.

You nodded your head as you got into a running position. The moment the volleyball touched Kageyama's hands, you took off at minus tempo and jumped as high as you can, your arms spread wide behind you to mimic that of a crow's wings. 

When you were your highest point, Kageyama set the ball towards you and you spiked it with everything you got. 

Silence could be heard as the volleyball touched the floor, echoing throughout the vast gym. You stood there with a blank look on your face as sweat dripped off your body. You turned around to face your team as they stared at you with wide eyes. 

Beep!

The whistle sounded as the gym erupted into a loud cheer. The volleyball team had won the exhibition match against the basketball team. Your face broke out into a huge grin as you threw yourself at Tsukishima who was the closest person to you and shouted in glee.

"We won string bean! I can't believe that we won."

"Oi, get off me. You're heavy Munchkin." Tsukishima grunted, but his arms were wrapped around you in a hug as he patted you on the head.

You buried your face in Tsukishima's chest, for once both of you allowing yourselves to indulge into each other warmth. Tsukishima continue stroking your (h/c) hair and muttered something under his breath so that only you could hear him. 

You smiled at what Tsukishima said before glancing up at him, his arms still around you. Tsukishima looked down at you, a soft small on his face. Both of you turned your attention towards the rest of your teammates who were cheering and screaming, celebrating their victory against the basketball team. 

Suddenly, Daichi turned to you and Tsukishima with a smirk on his face. A feeling of dread overcome you at the smirk Daichi directed towards you and Tsukishima. 

"My, my. Aren't the both of you getting cozy with each other?"

Everyone watched with amused looks on their faces as the two first years who claimed that they hated each other guts embracing tightly. They began to laugh when you and Tsukishima looked at each other before realizing that you two were still hugging and let go of one another with red faces. 

"A-as if I would get comfortable with string bean." 

"Tch. You're heavy munchkin, have you been eating a lot lately?"

"Are you calling me fat?!"

You attempted to hit Tsukishima who easily dodged all your attacks. Sometimes the two of you can be such tsunderes. 

_You did good (name)._

For the first time ever since you met Tsukishima, he called your name instead of munchkin. 

***

"Wait here for a while." 

You looked at the middle blocker with a curious look on your face as he entered your family's shop. You leaned your back against the wall as you took out a manga and began to read it. Karasuno's sports festival had ended already and your class won the award for the best class. 

Today had been a fun day, the volleyball team finally defeated the basketball team still lingering on your mind. Now that the exhibition match is out of the way, it's time to focus on the inter-high prelims that will be taking place soon. You need to work extra hard for your friends as they are relying on you as much as you are relying on them. 

"Catch munchkin."

Tsukishima tossed you a paper bag as you dropped your manga in order to catch it. You glared at the male who smirked at you before pointing to the ground. You followed his gaze and to your horror, your manga was lying face up. You let out a shriek as you bend down to pick up your manga, clutching it to your chest.

"OH MY GOSH! I'M SO SORRY, MY DEAR BABY!"

You wailed dramatically as Tsukishima glanced at you with a blank look and took a bite out of his bun. After you have calmed down, you joined Tsukishima as you enjoyed your curry bun. Once again it was the two of you heading home together after practice after Yamaguchi went his separate way. It had become a routine for the both of you to go home together after practice or school when you found out that Tsukishima lived on the same street as you.

A comfortable silence surrounded the two volleyball players with the upcoming inter-high prelims in both of their minds. You glanced up at the night sky, the stars twinkling down at you.

"Ne string bean, do you think we can win the inter-high prelims?" You asked Tsukishima, your gaze still fixed towards the night sky.

"I don't know." 

Once again silence filled the air. Tsukishima crumbled his paper bag and threw it into the nearby, walking away without saying anything. You rushed to throw your rubbish into the bin before running after Tsukishima. 

The two first years headed home together, the female babbling about the most random thing in the world while the male ignored her, his headphones plucked in.  

They were not sure if they will win in the inter-high prelims, but they know that as they try their best and believe in themselves, they can make it.

Later that night you were getting ready for bed when your phone rang, an incoming call. You accepted the call and placed it next to your ear, saying. 

"Hello?"

"(name)-chan, it's me."

"Oh. Hello, Kiyoko-senpai. What's up?"

"Nothing much. I just need your help with something."

"Sure."

You wished Kiyoko a good night before ending the call. You went to bed that night with a smile on your bed. You can't wait to start work with the secret project that you and Kiyoko had come up with for the volleyball team. They deserved this after having work so hard for the inter-high, hopefully this little project of yours can encourage or inspire the boys to do their best at the inter-high.

***

The week before the inter-high prelims, the volleyball team trained day and night to prepare themselves for the inter-high. You were busy as well, trying to balance school  and volleyball. Everyday immediately after school, you would rush for practice where you would assessed the boys to come up with strategies that will help them on court. At night, you would stay up late to plan strategies as well at the same time working on the secret project with Kiyoko. 

You were tired due to lack of sleep, however it was all worth if it means that you can help your team in every way. The looks on their faces after they win each match would make up for all those hours you put into planning each strategy. 

Thud!

Everyone turned their heads towards the sound coming from the entrance of the gym. You were laying flat on the floor after tripping on the step on your way into the gym. You pushed yourself up into a sitting position as the volleyball players rushed towards you to ensure that you were okay. 

"(name)-chan! Are you okay?" Suga asked worriedly, going into his motherly hen mode.

You let out a groan as you rubbed your forehead which has turned red from the impact of the fall. Ennoshita pulled you up to your feet as you leaned against him, trying to regain your bearings. Suga continued to fret over you as though you were his child and him your mother.

You swat Suga's hands away as you say, "Don't worry about me, I'm fine. You should get back to practice."

"Are you sure? You seemed very tired lately." Daichi asked, concern in his voice.

You gave them a tired smile to reassure them, or at least you try to. "I'm serious when I say that I am fine. You guys should get back to practice, the inter-high is tomorrow."

Everyone watched as you stumbled, making your way to your brother. They winced when you smacked face first into the wall, really worried for you. The volleyball players know that you have been working very hard for their sake. They were thankful for you, but honestly they were very worried as you seemed even more tired as the days leading up to the inter-high passed. 

"Is (name)-chan okay? She seemed tired." Hinata asked, concern for his friend. 

"I'm not sure. I heard from Coach Ukai that (name) has been staying up late all night coming up with strategies for us." Nishinoya replied. 

"Since (name) is working hard for our sake, we should work hard as well. If she says she's fine, she would be fine. Let's get back to practice." Daichi said as he went back to practice, the rest of his team following him. 

The least they could do for their assistant coach who worked so hard for them is to win the inter-high prelims for her.

Keishin glanced up when he saw his younger sister wobbling towards him. Suddenly you tripped on your untied shoelaces, but luckily for you, your brother was there to catch you before you kissed the floor again. Keishin placed you back on your feet as he scolded you, feeling concerned for your health. 

"When was the last time you slept?"

"Two days ago. I needed to finish up the strategies before inter-high begins. Here are the finalized strategies." You yawned as you passed a notebook to your brother.

Your brother took a look at the notebook and was surprised to see very detailed and neat notes. You even went as far as writing down a strategy for each individual player, even those who weren't regulars. You really put in a lot of effort for the team.

"(name).." Your brother mumbled, not knowing what to say.

You gave Keishin a smile. "It's okay. You don't have to say anything."

With that you walked away to help Kiyoko as Keishin looked at you with admiration and pride. The team was very lucky to have you as their assistant coach and friend. 

"Go home and go to sleep early tonight."

"Yeah!"

"Okay, that'll do it-"

"Just a second!" Takeda interrupted Keishin as everyone turned to look at him. 

"One more thing. Shimizu-san, (name)-san?" 

As Takeda called your's and Kiyoko's name, the volleyball players shift their attention to the two of you. 

You left out a chuckle at the sight of the eager looks on both Tanaka and Nishinoya, excited to hear what their favorite beauty manager has to say to them. Kiyoko looked to you for encouragement, feeling nervous as she was not used to doing something like this.

"You can do it." You encouraged with a smile on your face. 

The manager nodded her head before facing the group of boys who were curious as to what was going on. 

"I'm not good at cheering, but..." The third year trailed off before walking off.

"(name)-chan, if you will." 

"Leave it to me!" You climbed up the ladder leading up to the viewing stand, a piece of black cloth on your shoulder. 

"What's going on?" Nishinoya asked as everyone on the court walked closer towards the viewing stand, wanting to know what that piece of black cloth was. 

Kiyoko helped you to lay the cloth on the floor before glancing up at you with a nod. On the count of three, the two of you threw it against the outside of the railing, revealing the banner in all its glory. As you finished tying the banner down, noises of excitement and awe could be heard coming from the boys below. 

Written on the banner was the kanji "Take to the skies!", surrounded by crows, outlined in white, flying upward while feathers flowed gently down around the kanji. 

"I didn't know we had that." Suga exclaimed in child-like glee as you smiled down at everyone with a bright smile. 

"I found it while cleaning so I washed it." Kiyoko calmly explained.

"And I was the one who added the paintings!" You excitedly add on, waving your arms around to emphasize your point.

Tanaka pumped his fist into the air as he shouted, "I'm getting pumped up."

"Just what you excepted of Kiyoko-san and (name)-chan!" Nishinoya joined in with his usual gusto as you laughed at the second years' enthusiasm.

You glanced at Kiyoko, wanting to praise her when you realized she was fidgeting, which was unusual of her. How strange. 

"Kiy-"

"All right! Let's get fired up-" "Wait. She's not done." Daichi cut off both Tanaka and Nishinoya who gazed up at Kiyoko with confused looks on their faces, along with everyone else. 

"Do..." 

Kiyoko stopped as she looked at her feet, a light blush on her face. You glanced at your senpai with a curious look, wondering what she was going to say. 

"Do your best." 

Kiyoko finished her sentence, her blush deepening before running off. You stood there with an amused look on your face as you smiled at her cute behavior before you shift your attention from the manager to the boys below, wondering what their reactions would be like. You bet it would be funny. 

The room was silence. 

Suddenly like some kind of crazy choreographed event, all the second and third years burst into tears, shooting out of their eyes like water guns. You gave a soft laugh as you stared at the perplexed looks on the first years, not sure how to react. 

"SHIMIZU!" Daichi, Suga and Asahi cried in unison, rubbing their eyes. 

Meanwhile Tanaka and Nishinoya stood there like statues with tears streaming down their faces like waterfalls as both Tsukishima and Yamaguchi glanced at their senpais with horror on their faces. 

"Those guys... they're speechless."

"They usually never shut up."

You glanced at the two second years with a curious look. What kind of power does Kiyoko have over this two idiots?

"(name)-chan!"

"H-hai!"

You turned your attention to Kageyama and Hinata when they called your name. 

Both boys looked up to you with determined looks on their faces as they shouted in sync, bending their bodies 90 degrees downwards. 

"WE KNOW THAT YOU HAVE BEEN LOOSING SLEEP BECAUSE OF US. FOR THAT WE'LL LIKE TO THANK YOU!"

Now it was your turned for you to blush as all eyes turned to you, waiting for you to say something. Your darted left and right, refusing to look at the boys when you thought, 'This are my friends. I have nothing to be embarrassed about.'

Your face settled into a light blush as you smiled at them with a soft look on your face. "For you guys, I would loose my sleep over and over again if it means I can get to see you guys play on a national stage one day."

Once again silence filled the gym as everyone froze at what you said. 

Cue another round of tears, this time round the first years joining in. Yes, even the usual stoic Tsukishima although he tried to hide it behind his glasses. 

You laughed at your friends' reaction before landing on Tsukishima. You mouthed the words "I saw" to him, causing the tsundere beanpole to turn away from you, hiding his face. However, you can tell that he was embarrassed, his red ears giving him away. 

"We're going to win the first round for sure!" Daichi declared with teary eyes.

"YEAH!" Everyone shouted in agreement.

You watched with gentle eyes as you glanced at the bunch of boys who were hyped up for tomorrow inter-high. Seeing the determined looks on their faces, you know that their passion for volleyball runs deep within their blood. Leaning your head on the railings, you pray for your team.

Even without the prayers, you believed that they can do it as long as you keep believing in them no matter what.

***

"To..torino?"

"It's read as Karasuno."

"Karasuno?"

"Yea. Don't you know about the saying behind Karasuno?"

"No, what?"

"Fallen powerhouse. Flightless crows."

Your (e/c) eyes twitched in anger as you stared at the two male students before you with a dark look on your face, the rest of your teammates mirroring the same look. How dare they say that about Karasuno?!

"Flightless, you say? Is that what you said?" Tanaka asked as he direct his infamous delinquent face at the two males. 

The two students immediately shut up, feeling intimated by the spiker's face. Daichi grabbed Tanaka by the back of his jacket saying "Don't squabble" before bowing at the two students, apologizing for his teammate's behavior. 

You glared at the two males with a murderous look before skipping after your teammates, your usual cheerful self back on. The two boys shuddered at the murderous glare you sent their ways. For a petite girl, you sure can be intimidating. 

Everyone glanced at you guys as you entered the gymnasium where the inter-high was being held at. Whispers began to run through the crowds as your team walked on, all in black. All sorts of rumors about Karasuno's players could be heard, but the one that got to you was about Asahi.

You giggled at the gentle giant who was being misunderstood as usual, feeling sorry for him. Well, that is what happens when you looked like an adult despite being in high school only. You looked at Asahi with amusement when he was compared to Nishinoya who is what you would called wild by Suga and Daichi. 

Your team is a weird bunch of people.  

"Hey, look." 

You shift your attention from Asahi to Kiyoko who as usual was being stared at, thanks to her natural beauty. All sorts of comments were thrown at her as she walked pass by people, talking with Takeda-sensei. One second Kiyoko was walking with Takeda, the next she was surrounded by Tanaka and Nishinoya orbiting around her, a predator look on their faces. 

You laughed as you watched the two second years defending the manager from other males before Kiyoko smacked them on the head with her clipboards, saying. "Please stop."

"Kiyoko-san smacked us." Both Tanaka and Nishinoya blissfully said with flowers floating in the background, their hands clasped together and eyes closed. 

You shook your head, used to the duo being idiots and continued on walking. You walked passed by a bunch of boys who cat-whistled at you and saying things about you that disgusted you to the core. Tsukishima who was walking beside you heard the comments and was about to tell them off when you had reacted. 

"Why thank you boys. I'm sure you wouldn't find me cute anymore once you know the real me. After all, I am a crow." 

Tsukishima watched as you send the group of boys flying kisses before turning around to catch up with the volleyball team. The boys were frozen in fear, understanding the double meaning behind your words. Tsukishima smirked at you before directing a glare towards the said boys.

"You heard her. Crows are omnivorous, but we do enjoy only eating meat once in a while."

With that, Tsukishima turned on his heels and headed after you while the boys stood there with pale faces looking like they had seen a ghost.

You just came back from the washroom when you saw what was happening to your team. A white-haired player from Dateko was pointing at Asahi with a blank look on his face. Poor Asahi looked like he is about to piss himself. Rage burned within you when you saw that two Dateko players stopping the white-haired player, one trying his best while the other looked like he wasn't even trying. 

Storming towards them with blazing eyes you snapped, gaining both team's attention. 

"What are you doing? Don't you know it's rude to point at other people?!"

Dateko players stood there with fear at the sight of a small girl who looked like she's ready to send them to hell. 

"I swear that if you don't put your arm down, I will rip your finger out and shoved it up your ass. Mark my words! And you, help your senpai instead of half assing things, you lazy piece of shit!" 

The Dateko players stared at you with wide open mouths as the white-haired player finally lowered his arm, afraid that you would really ripped his finger. The captain of Dateko apologized for his teammates before pushing his junior away from your team. 

"Are you okay, Asahi?"

"That was terrifying."

"I can't tell if he's afraid of Dateko or Munchkin-chan."

"Be careful Tsukishima. If (name) heard you, she'll kill you."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY ABOUT ME STRING BEAN?! DO YOU WANT ME TO RIP OUT ALL YOUR FINGERS AND SHOVED IT UP YOUR ASS?!"

"(name)-chan! Calm down, please!"

***

The Karasuno's Boys volleyball team faced their opponents, a serious look on their face. This first match would be the first stage of getting to national, the dreams of every volleyball players out in the world. Karasuno was no exception. 

You sat next to your brother on the bench, your (e/c) eyes focused on the match that was about to start.

Beep!

The whistle blew and the first served was made. 

Time to show the world that Karasuno has revived. 

 


	9. Part 1: Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I wouldn't touch much on the matches that Karasuno had as they are based on the anime/manga. As for the match between Aoba Johsai and Karasuno, I would mentioned some parts I feel that is important to the story plot. Other than that, you can watch or read the match for yourself. Thanks and let's jump straight in!

 

"(nickname)-chan?"

You were looking through your notebook when you heard a familiar voice calling your name. You whipped your head around to see who had called your name and to your surprise, you were met with a familiar spiky haired male. 

"Hajime-kun? Is that you?"

You glanced up to the viewing stands where Iwaizumi Hajime was at, sporting Aoba Johsai's blue and white volleyball jacket. Needless to say, you were excited to see your childhood friend that you have not seen in years. 

"(name)-chan, you know the ace of aoba johsai?!" Hinata shouted in surprise as everyone in Karasuno stared at you with curious or shocked looks. 

You tilt your head as you explained yourself, feeling confused. "Yea. Why wouldn't I know Hajime-kun, my childhood friend? What seem to be the problem?"

Before any of the Karasuno's boys could answered you, an annoying voice that you know too well interrupted. 

"(nickname)-chan, is that you? Long time no see!"

You let out a groan, feeling so stupid. How could you forgot about Iwaizumi's other half? (*wink wink* to all those iwaoi fans out there) Plastering a fake smile onto your face, you turned around to face the flamboyant captain of Aoba Johsai's boys' volleyball team. 

"Shittykawa, how nice of you to join us."

"Waaa! Why are you so mean? Iwa-chan, (nickname)-chan hates me."

You watched with a blank look as Oikawa threw himself at Iwaizumi, crying crocodile's tears and whining about how much his precious (nickname)-chan hates him. Iwaizumi punched Oikawa on the head as he screamed at the setter to get off him. At this point, you were used to the duo's usual behaviors. No wonder they were perfect for one another. 

Ignoring Oikawa who was in a corner muttering about how his childhood friends were so mean to him, you faced Iwaizumi. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We are participating in the Inter-high prelims as well. But our match doesn't start until later."

You nodded your head before turning to your brother to ask if you could hang out with Iwaizumi and Oikawa for a while when he spoke up, his eyes not looking up from the clipboard. "Go ahead. Just make sure you're back before the second set starts."

"Thank you nii-chan! I love you!" You hugged your brother as a huge smile appeared on your face. Afterwards, you left the gym and headed for the viewing stands. Everyone watched as you left before shifting their attention back to the two Aoba Johsai volleyball players. 

"How do you know (name)-chan?" Kageyama demanded from his middle school seniors. 

"If it isn't Tobio-chan. It's none of your business whether Iwa-chan and I know (nickname)-chan or not." Oikawa gloated before sticking his tongue at his all time rival. 

Iwaizumi glanced at his childhood friend in disgust before hitting him on his head. He ignored Oikawa's cries of outrage as he replied Kageyama's question. "(nickname)-chan used to be my neighbor before she moved away. Oikawa and I used to play with her when we were younger. I hope that answer your question. Now if you will excuse me."

The Karasuno boys' eyes followed after the duo as you approached them and pulled them into a hug. You shift your attention to the boys as you shouted. "All the best for your first set! I will be down to support you guys during the second set. Meanwhile, I'll be up at the viewing stands to cheer for."

With that, you followed Oikawa and Iwaizumi to where the rest of the Aoba Johsai team was seating at. They watched as you tried to defend yourself against Oikawa who was attempting to hug you while Iwaizumi kept shouting at the setter to behave himself. 

First Nekoma, and now Aoba Johsai. Just how many volleyball teams are you friends with?

***

"Hello everyone, I'm Ukai (name). Nice to meet you." 

You bowed as you introduced yourself to the rest of Aoba Johsai's team. The volleyball players' cheeks pinked at the sight of the smile you gave them, thinking how cute you were. Oikawa who noticed the looks on his teammates' faces, placed an arm around you as he glowered at them. 

"Now now, (nickname)-chan is off limits. She's mine. Ain't that right?"

Irk marks appeared on your forehead at your childhood friend's behavior. You pinched Oikawa's arms which caused him to release you, a look of irritation on your face. "Shut up Trashykawa. I don't belong to you or anyone of that matter."

"But (nickname)-chan, I thought you love me." Oikawa wailed.

You blinked at the third year with a blank look on your face. Sometimes you really wonder if this guy is a third year or not. Oikawa was ignored by both you and Iwaizumi as you strike up a conversation with the rest of their teammates.

You were surprised when you learned that Kindaichi, Kunimi, Oikawa and Iwaizumi. You also found out that Aoba Johsai and Karasuno had a practice match before you came to Karasuno. When you found it was Oikawa who requested for the practice only if Kageyama was the setter throughout the entire match, Iwaizuimi had a very hard time preventing you from clawing out his eyeballs.   

"(nickname)-chan, my beautiful face. You're gonna ruined it." Oikawa screamed as he tried to escape from your death claws. 

"I COULD CARE LESS ABOUT YOUR BEAUTIFUL FACE. THE MOMENT YOU HURT MY FRIENDS, YOU SIGNED YOURSELF A DEATH WARRANT!" 

"But I am your friend as well!"

"SCREW YOU AND YOUR PERFECT HAIR, SHITTYKAWA!"

"WAAA! IWA-CHAN, HELP ME!"

"You deserve this."

"IWA-CHAN, YOU'RE SUPPOSE TO BE ON MY SIDE!"

All heads turned to the viewing stands where they could hear screams and shouts coming from. They were surprised to see a female attacking the famous Oikawa Tooru of Aoba Johsai. Well, this was rather amusing and surprising as the handsome male was always being chased by girls, not being attacked by them in this case. 

"Wait, isn't that girl from Karasuno?"

"Yea, that's the Karasuno's volleyball jacket."

Whispers could be heard as the Karasuno boys felt all eyes on them. Daichi turned to his teammates with a blank look before saying. "We don't know that girl."

The rest of his teammates nodded their heads in agreement and turned their bodies away from the viewing stands, returning back to their warm ups. 

"OI! DON'T YOU PRETEND YOU DON'T KNOW WHO I AM!" 

You sat down, a pout on your face as Iwaizumi patted you on the head to comfort you, the rest of his teams giving you sympathy looks. You could not believe that your own friends had ignored you. Tch, so much for being friends. 

"(nickname)-chan, may you should quit Karasuno and come to Aoba Johsai? We wouldn't ignore you like them." Oikawa said in a sing-song voice as he placed an arm around you.

"I would rather be ignored by my teammates than been seen with you, Trashykawa." You muttered as Oikawa's teammates snickered at what you said. 

"All players get ready."

You turned your head to the court as you watched your teammates got into positions. You smiled at Hinata amd Kageyama who gave you a thumbs up, you returning one of your own. You grinned as you watched the first serve was being made. 

You watched with anticipation, but you know that deep down, Karasuno can win. 

***

Your ears rang as the whistle blew, indicating that Karasuno had won against Tokonami. Your mouth stretched into a huge grin as you jumped to your feet, cheering at the boys' victory. You turned your gaze to Kiyoko and Takeda whose expressions was filled with happiness at the boys' victory. Your brother was seated on the bench with his arms crossed, but you can tell he was proud of the boys.

"Good job everyone!" You praised your friends as you and Kiyoko gave out towels and water bottles to them. 

Everyone thanked you as you handed out the towels while Kiyoko handed out the water bottles for the boys to rehydrate themselves. Takeda began to praise the boys as they gave him victorious grins, the adrenaline of winning their first match still running through them. You couldn't be more proud of them.

Keishin began to comment on their first game before they started to plan for their next match. As they were discussing, you and Kiyoko went around to collect the sweaty towels and empty water bottles. Let's just that touching a bunch of sweat-soaked towels was not a pleasant experience. How earth does Kiyoko do this continuously until you joined the volleyball team was beyond you.

Once the discussion was over, the boys began to collect their belongings, ready to leave the court. You checked again to make sure that nobody left anything behind, muttering to yourself. When suddenly Kiyoko tapped you on the shoulder to get your attention. 

"Are you ready to go?"

You gave a nod before hauling the basket of water bottles onto your shoulder, your bag hanging off the other. Kiyoko watched with concern as you struggled to carry the basket of water bottles plus your bag. Being the concerned senior that she was, Kiyoko offered to help you carry. 

"(name)-chan, do you need help?"

"Nope, I will be fine on mine own. You can go ahead."

"If you say. Please be careful."

You nodded at Kiyoko to reassure her that you'll be fine before walking (more like wobbling) after everyone else. You have only reached the entrance of the gym when suddenly you felt someone removing the basket of water bottles from your shoulder. You turned around to be only with Tsukishima who has already walked off, the basket slung on his right shoulder. 

You blinked at the middle blocker in surprise before chasing after him to demand him to give you back the basket. "String bean, what on earth are you doing?"

"I'm helping you to carry the basket. Maybe you should get your eyes check since you couldn't see that for yourself."

"My eyes is 100% fine, unlike yours. My question is why are you helping me carrying it? I can do it myself."

"Sure, you can carry it yourself. That's if you want to look like an idiot waddling like a penguin."

"Shut up string bean! Give it back to me. I can't let you carry it. You must be tired from the match earlier."

"Is this how you thank someone for helping you, munchkin-chan?"

"Argh! For the last time, stop calling me that!"

"It suits you."

"You know what, forget about it!"

You threw your hands up in annoyance at how stubborn Tsukishima could be. Not wanting to waste your saliva arguing with him, you crossed your arms and pouted as you walked beside the smirking male. 

"You owe me now." Tsukishima whispered into your ear.

"HUH?!" You exclaimed as you faced Tsukishima whose smirk widen at the incredulous look on your face.

"I said, you owe me now."

"Why should I when I didn't ask for your help?! You stupid beanpole!" You angrily said, not understanding Tsukishima's motive at all. 

Tsukishima being the sadist that he was simply grinned evilly as he went on. "It doesn't matter whether you ask for my help or not. It matters that I help you, so you owe me now."

At this point you were too tired to argue with Tsukishima. So, instead you decided to just go with the flow. "Fine. What do you want me do?"

Tsukishima stared at you for a long while before replying, "I'm not sure yet. I will let you know later."

With that, he walked off and leaving you behind to pout. At first, your heart warmed at the fact that Tsukishima helped you out. But then again, this is Tsukishima we are talking about. You should have know better than to expect that the blonde will help you out of his kindness. Now, you owe him a favor. Hopefully he would not ask you to do something you hate. 

"(name)-chan, are you okay?" Suga asked his junior, seeing the pout on her face.

"I'm just peachy. Don't worry about me, Suga-senpai." You sarcastically replied.

"Okay, what happened between you and Tsukishima?"

"Nothing!"

"I don't believe you."

"..."

"..."

"I owe him now."

"Ohhh. Wait, what?!"

***

"GO! GO! LET'S GO! LET'S GO DATEKO!!"

Dateko's loud cheers resounded through the gym, giving the spirit and support to their schoolmates. The loud cheers echoed throughout the gym and it was starting to overwhelm some of the players. You held onto Tsukishima as you pulled yourself closer to him, as though hiding behind his tall frame would shield you from the overwhelming cheers. Tsukishima looked down at you, ready to say something snarky when he saw the look on your face. 

To be honest, you looked like a scared puppy. Instead of teasing you like he usually does, Tsukishima pulled you closer to his side, your entire body leaning against him. Your blinked your eyes in surprise as you take a glance up at Tsukishima, only to be covered by his hands. 

"I can't believe you would get scared so easily. I thought you would be used to it." Tsukishima teased, trying to cover up the fact that he was embarrassed. 

"It's really intimidating..." You muttered under your breath.

"It's as though they have taken over the entire gym." Takeda added on, his eyes widen in disbelief. 

You glanced at Asahi with worry written all over your face. You were worried for your senior when you heard from Suga that the last match Karasuno had with Dateko left a very bad taste for many of them, especially their ace - Asahi. You could see that everyone minus the first years were feeling nervous and anxious for their upcoming match against Dateko.

You were wrecking your brain to see what you could do to encourage the second and third years when suddenly you heard Nishinoya shouting his famous catchphrase. 

"Rolling.... THUNDER!" Nishinoya shouted as he perfectly did a rolling receive. "Again!"

Keishin caught the return ball in his hands and everyone stood where they were, not moving a single muscles. The crowd had went silent, even Dateko who was surprised by Karasuno's libero move. You simply face palmed as you asked yourself time and time again, why do you know people like that?

"That was perfect!" Nishinoya exclaimed with pride, his noise in the air and his hands placed on his hips.

"Noya-san, nice receive. It was a perfection itself, except for the name itself." Tanaka snickered as he covered his mouth, trying not to laugh at his teammates."

Veins popped on Nishinoya's head as he defended himself. "The name is perfect!"

"Teach me! Teach me the Again version again!" Hinata begged as he jumped up and down, his eyes sparkling with awe. 

Meanwhile, Tsukishima and Yamaguchi were laughing as Kageyama gave a baffled look, muttering. "How was that different from the usual one?"

"Shut up! Anyway, there's nothing to worry about." Nishinoya confidently said as everyone else stared at him.

"All of you, keep your eyes forward. Because you have me guarding your backs." He went on as he faced his teammates, his arms outstretched with a huge grin on his face.

"A-awesome!" Tanaka, Hinata and Kageyama said, their eyes shining.

Asahi smirked after hearing his teammate's words, knowing that his back will be guarded as long as he keep fighting the battle on the front. You smiled softly as you looked at your senior with admiration, amazed at the fact that he managed to restore the team's confidence.

You turned to the boys as you encouraged them. "As a libero myself, I can truly say that Noya-senpai would guard your back as long as you believe in him. So, keep your eyes forward and fight the front battle for him!"

"Karasuno... FIGHT!" Everyone cheered as they walked towards the court with smirks on their faces. 

You grinned as you could feel the spirits rising among the boys, ready to face their monsters that had been haunting them ever since the match they lost against Dateko. Cupping your hands around your mouth, you shouted. "Show them what it means to go against us crows!"

***

You glanced at the score anxiously, it was currently 22 to 24 with Karasuno at match point. If Dateko scores two points, it will be a deuce and you know that exhaustion was slowly catching up to the boys. 

"Come on, come on. One more point." You muttered under breath as you leaned forward, your attention fixed on the ace of Karasuno. 

'Asashi.' You thought to yourself at the look of slight panic in Asahi's eyes. On the outside, he looked calm but you can tell that Asahi was slowly starting to panic, especially when Karasuno is at match point. 

'What kind of ace am I, if I can't score the last point?' Asahi thought to himself as he ran after the ball that Kageyama set the ball for him.

"We've defeated the spiker once already. We're no Iron Wall if we can't do it again!" Moniwa, the captain of Dateko shouted as they jumped, blocking Asahi's spike again. 

Your (e/c) eyes widen with horror as it followed after the ball which was heading towards the back of the court where there was no one there to receive it. You closed your eyes, not able to stand the disappointed looks on your teammates' faces. 

"He saved it!"

You eyes flew open when you heard the whole gym shouting. Apparently, Nishinoya had managed to save the ball, giving his team another chance to score the last point. Your face split into a huge grin as you shouted, your voice reaching Asahi.

"Spike it! Keep spiking as long as the tosses keep coming!"

Asahi gritted his teeth as he heard your shout, not wanting to let you down after all the hard work you put in for them. "Left! One more!"

"Azumane-san!" Kageyama shouted for the ace as he set the ball for Asahi once more. 

You gasped when you realized that the ball was tossed too close to the net. However, Asahi jumped with no hesitation to spike it but only to be locked in a joust with Aone, the white-haired Dateko volleyball player. Tears began to appear in your eyes when you realized that Asahi's hands slipped, the ball falling on to the side of Karasuno. 

Everyone watched with anticipation, wondering what was going to happen next. You shift your attention to Nishinoya who remained frozen on the spot, the ball too far away from him to save it. You clenched your fists in frustration, your nails piercing into your skin. 

You understood the dilemma that Nishinoya was going through since you were in that spot once. However, you believed in Nishinoya. You threw your arms into the air, cheering at the top of your lungs when Nishinoya saved the ball with legs, the gym echoing after you. 

"ONE MORE!" You, Suga, Hinata and Nishinoya shouted in unison. 

You were on the edge of your seat as your eyes followed after Asahi who took off after Kageyama set the ball for him for the last time. That was the best he could do at that time. 

"Go, Asahi!" Suga shouted from the sideline.

"Blast through it, Asahi!" Daichi's shout following after Suga.

"Go!" Everyone else shouted.

With tears streaming down your face, you shut your eyes as you shouted with all your might. "ASAHI-SENPAI! GOO!"

Asahi jumped for the very last time as he spiked the volleyball with all his might. You smiled when you realized that the Iron Wall that had blocked the ace's view of the opposite court has finally opened for him. 

Asahi has finally overcome his fears. 

The whistle blew as Karasuno won the match against Dateko. Asahi let out a huge cheer as everyone else joined in, elated that they have won against Dateko. You let out a laugh, reveling in everyone's joy. After they shook their opponents hands, you rammed yourself into Asahi with your arms wrapped around him.

"You did it, Asahi-senpai! You finally did it!" You half cried and half laugh.

Asahi gave you a soft look as he patted you on the head, saying. "It's all thanks to you, (name)-chan. I could hear you from where I was. You encourage me all the way."

At this point you was inconsolable as you stood there with tears streaming down your face. Everyone laughed at the sight of their assistant coach crying, happy that they made her proud. 

"You looked disgusting." Tsukishima gave you a disgust look.

"Waaaa! But Asahi-senpai did it. I'm so happy!" You wailed as more tears and snots trailed down your face. You were quite the ugly crier to be honest. 

Tsukishima who still gave you a disgusted look took a tissue from Kiyoko and pressed it to your nose, grunting. "Blow. You are so disgusting."

You blew into the tissue paper as Tsukishima looked away in disgust. After throwing away the snot-filled tissue, he took a new one and began to wipe your tears. "You're such a crybaby you know."

You sniffed as you glanced up to Tsukishima with teary eyes. "You did a good job out there."

Tsukishima's face pinked as he turned away from you, saying. "Tch. Whatever."

You laughed and smiled with your teammates as all of you left the court, preparing to head back to Karasuno when you heard screams coming from the next court.

"Oikawa-san!"

You watched as Oikawa easily scored the last point for Aoba Johsai, winning the first set easily. You stared at Oikawa with an unreadable look on your face as he turned to you, a smirk on your face. Looks like you have more work to do tonight if you want Karasuno to go to Nationals.

*** 

All Karasuno's volleyball players focused their attention on the match happening before them. Currently, Aoba Johsai is the lead with a major points difference between them and their opponents. The entire gym cheered as Iwaizumi easily spiked the ball, earning another point.

"How do I put this...They've got a very smooth transition." Suga exclaimed with awe.

"Oikawa-san and Iwaizumi-san, that #4 on the left. Apparently these two have been on the same team since grade school. They're linked, both mentally and physically." Kageyama explained as everyone watched the duo.

You gave a small smile as you looked at your two childhood friends. "Tooru-kun and Hajime-kun have been best friends since they were born. They were always together no matter where they go. If you see one of them, you know the other is not too far." 

"The Great King is so awesome! I want to hurry up and play him!" Everyone turned to Hinata who for some reason was so excited to play against Oikawa. 

"Yeah! I hope he aims his serves at me!" Nishinoya joined in.

As Nishinoya and Hinata made a lot of noise, a staff member looked up at them and said. "Hey, now. You two junior high- maybe you're grade school kids? Quiet down a little."

You laughed along with everyone else while Nishinoya and Hinata had a blank look on their faces as they apologized. You turned your head back to the match where Oikawa was serving with Aoba Johsai at match point. At this rate, Aoba Johsai is going to win with no difficulty at all.

You and your brother turned to face each other, a look of dismay on your faces as Oikawa's monster serve scored the last point. Looks like you wouldn't be getting your sleep tonight. 


	10. Part 1: Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Based off Season 1 Episode 22 and 24

You looked at the disc in your hand before inserting into your laptop, the match between Aoba Johsai and another school staring back at you and your brother from the screen. Keishin and you watched with focused eyes, taking in every details about the school that Karasuno was going to face tomorrow. 

After all the matches were over, you removed the earpiece from your ear before glancing to your brother with worried looks, Keishin mirroring you. 

"Nii-chan..." You muttered, not knowing how to go on. 

"Yea." Keishin replied, his tone serious. 

This was bad news. You knew that Aoba Johsai volleyball team was the second best in the prefecture after Shiratorizawa, but you wasn't expecting the level that they were playing at. Karasuno had improved a lot over the years, but compared to Aoba Johsai, you guys look like baby crows next to them.

Over the years you had come to know Oikawa and Iwazumi, you knew that at the back of your head that they were good. However, to your surprise, they have improved over the years when you were in Russia. You were proud of them, but now that you are facing them tomorrow, you wished that they were not as good as they were. 

It's not that you don't believe in your team, but the stakes of winning is very slim. However, you are going to keep working hard for your team. After all, they have worked so hard to come this far and you can't give up on them now. They need you. 

However, deep down, you have a feeling that something bad was going to happen tomorrow. Two setters and one old time rivalry.

Oikawa and Kageyama. 

***

You were watching the boys do their warm-ups when you heard a familiar voice, gaining your attention.

"(nickname)-chan! Hello!"

"Will you shut up? You're being a public nuisance. There's not need for shouting, (nickname)-chan can hear you perfectly well. She's not deaf."

A smile settled onto your face as you watched Iwazumi reprimand Oikawa like he always does, the familiarity of those two calming you down a bit. 

"That's right Shittykawa. I have perfect hearing, so there's not need for you to shout. And hello to you too, Hajime-kun." You gave Iwazumi a smile, ignoring Oikawa who was pouting.

"Hello to you, (nickname)-chan." Iwazumi politely replied, a small smile on his face.

 "Mean. So mean, (nickname)-chan. I greeted you first, yet you ignored me and not Iwa-chan." Oikawa muttered, a hurt look on his face.

You rolled your eyes, used to Oikawa acting like a baby. "Grow up, Trashykawa. You're already in third year, please act like your age. Hajime-kun can't always be there to babysit you."

"Stop calling me those names!" 

Iwaizumi ignored his partner as he faced you. "I wish you all the best in the match. However, Shittykawa and I wouldn't go easy on you just because we are old friends."

You smirked in return. "Don't worry. I think you should be worry more about the fact that we will trash you on court."

"Why you!"

You and Iwaizumi went head to head, eyes narrowed at one another as you seized each other up. You and Iwaizumi might be good friends, but that doesn't change the fact that when it comes to volleyball, the two of you are enemies. 

"Oikawa! Iwaizumi! Get back here already!" 

You heard the coach of Aoba Johsai calling your childhood friends back to the side of their court. You gave the duo one last smirk, flipping your hair as you walked away. "May the best man win."

With that, the match between Aoba Johsai and Karasuno officially started. 

***

"Tsukishima, nice serve."

Your (e/c) eyes following the ball which was received nicely by Kunimi. Iwaizumi let out a "nice receive" as he and another player rushed forward to the net, ready for a spike. Close to the net, Oikawa's knees was bent, eyes focused on the ball that was spinning towards him and ready to set.

Thud!

In a blink of an eye, Oikawa set the ball up for Iwaizumi who spiked the ball flawlessly, breaking past Karasuno's block. The referee blew his whistle as the entire gym cheered loudly. Aoba Johsai just earned their first point. 

Meanwhile, your teammates stood in shock, not moving an inch. They couldn't react fast enough to stop that spike.

You grit your teeth, your fists clenched as you glanced at Oikawa who gave your friends a prideful smirk, smugly saying. "Come on. I'll be doing the same thing again."

With his back turned to Karasuno's volleyball players, he mocked them. "We'll see if you can catch up with us."

You loved Oikawa to death, but sometimes you want to throw him out of the window due to his ego, always looking down on those inferior to him. 

"Believe." Your brother said, his eyes not straying from the match before him. Keishin always knew what was going on in your mind and he always has the right words that you need to hear. 

You nodded as you focused on the match once more. After all, the match had only just begun and it was still early to worry. 

As the match kept going and the points kept climbing, you could see that Kageyama was getting frustrated with his ex senior to the point he did something that had you jumping onto your feet and screaming at the blueberry setter. 

"WHAT THE EVERFLYING SHIT WAS THAT YOU BLUEBERRY IDIOT?!"

Everyone turned to you, shaking at your angry voice. Your entire form was shaking with anger as you try not to lash out  at the first year setter. The reason of your anger was because just when you thought that Kageyama has a plan up his sleeves, he did the exact same dump shot that Oikawa did earlier on. 

That was a huge risk, although it did earned Karasuno a point. 

"Looks like someone is in trouble." Tsukishima snickered under his breath. Kageyama was literally shaking in fear. 

"What you did just now was a huge risk! I expect this from string bean and not from you Kageyama. I'll let it slide since it got us a point. But if you pull off something like this again, I would not hesitate to use your head as a volleyball. Do you understand?!"

Kagayama nodded his head, his eyes widen in fear at his assistant coach's threat. He would like to keep his head attached to his neck. 

Everyone shivered as you sat down on the bench, a murderous look on your face as Takeda and Keishin slowly moves away from you while Kiyoko patted you on the head, trying to calm you down. After all, a scary Ukai (name) is dangerous as the world might come to an end. 

After your "little" outburst, the match continued. However, you could still see that the blue-haired setter was getting more desperate as his set ups kept getting blocked by the opposite team. Oikawa's smug looks was not helping Kageyama's situation. At this point, you were so close to setting Oikawa's perfect hair on fire. 

After a few more rounds, your brother had no choice but to sub Suga in as the setter instead of Kageyama. You watched Kageyama's frustrated face as he realized that he was swapped with his senpai. You passed Kageyama a water bottle to hydrate himself as well as a towel. That was until Hinata stepped in and shouted, an unreadable look on his face. 

"I said I'd be the one that defeats you! So, don't loose to anyone before that!"

Everybody looked at Hinata with surprised looks while Kageyama's eyes widen before he said, provoking the middle blocker. "The match isn't over yet, so I haven't lost."

You laughed as Yamaguchi hooked his arms under Hinata's armpit and dragged him back to the waiting area, muttering under his breath. "You're gonna get into trouble."

For a simpleton, Hinata sure knows to say the right words every time to cheer up those around him. You couldn't be more thankful for the ball of sunshine. 

"Kageyama, make sure you take stock of things from outside the court, and use that time to calm down." Keishin instructed as Kageyama observed the sliver-haired setter interaction with his teammates. 

You grinned as you saw the way how Suga greeted his teammates, encouraging them in his unique way. "Suga-chan might not be as good as you when it comes to volleyball, Kageyama. But there's something about him that makes him a trusty setter among his teammates. Watch and maybe you can learn something as well."

After Suga over take Kageyama as the setter, things were looking up for Karasuno. You let out a huge cheer as Tsukishima managed to deny Iwaizumi's spike. "THAT'S IT STRING BEAN! YOU'RE FINALLY PUTTING SOME EFFORT. HAH! IN YOUR FACE, HAJIME-KUN AND SHITTYKAWA!"

Iwaizumi and Oikawa turned to glare at you while you simply smirked back at them, tension filling the air. Tsukishima's ears turn red at your outburst, feeling firsthand embarrassment for you. "Tch. So noisy."

Suga slapped Tsukishima on the back and teased him with a huge smile on his face. "Hahaha! You shouldn't get embarrassed that your friend cheer for you, especially (name)-chan."

Ignoring the implication behind his senior's words, Tsukishima turned to look at you who was still having a glaring competition with the duo of Aoba Johsai. However the moment you made eye contact with the middle blocker, you gave him a huge splitting grin and waved your arms around like a manic. Tsukishima could see you mouthing the words "all the best" as his heart began to beat so loudly that he was certain everyone could hear it. 

There was something about your smile that made him want to do his best for you. Dammit, what on earth is wrong with him. 

***

"(name)-chan? What are you doing down there?"

You were hiding underneath the bench, quivering in fear as all eyes turned to you. Letting out a shaky laughter, you crawled out from your hiding spot as everyone waited for an explanation. You closed your eyes to try to calm down, but the moment the image of Kageyama's smile appeared in your mind again, your eyes snapped opened as you dove underneath the bench once more. 

Takeda gave you a worried look as he gently coaxed you out from underneath the bench. Thank goodness they were having a break before the second set. You let out a whimper, refusing to come out as you continued to shiver like a leaf. 

Everyone was puzzled by your action and no matter what they do, they couldn't seem to get you out from underneath the bench. That was until Daichi pushed Tsukishima forward who stumbled and nearly fall flat on his face. Tsukishima gave his captain an annoyed look as he raised a brow, not exactly sure what he should do. 

"Bring her out from underneath there." Daichi whispered. 

Irk marks appeared on his face as he bend down, his face coming level with yours. You refused to meet Tsukishima's face, knowing that he would tease you. Tsukishima let out a sigh, wondering what have gotten you spooked. 

"What has gotten you all so scared? You're usually so loud and annoying." 

You frowned at the middle blocker's bluntness before emerging from your hiding place. You dusted yourself as you looked at all your friends' curious/concern looks. You gave a sheepish look and replied, "Sorry. It's just that Kageyama's smile freak me out."

"..."

Everyone blinked at you blankly before bursting out into loud laughter, all eyes turning to them. Meanwhile, Kageyama's face burst in all shades of red. The setter looked embarrassed as you gave him a sheepish grin, slight sorry for putting Kageyama in this position. 

"HAHAHAHA! (name)-CHAN IS SCARED OF KAGEYAMA'S SMILE?!" Tanaka laughed as Nishinoya clutched his stomach from laughing too much.

"Looks like the king scared away munchkin here." Tsukishima smirked at Kageyama who glared at him. 

As everyone continued to laugh at the poor blueberry boy, you smiled as the tension among the boys slowly dissipated. This was what you wanted. You wanted the boys to be serious about the match, but also to have fun at the same time. 

The scene before you reminded you of your old volleyball team back in Russia. You really miss those girls. Maybe you should call them up to ask how they are doing in Russia. 

Soon, it was time to for the second set to start. You giggled to yourself as you watched Kageyama who was serving, that boy was practically shaking with excitement. He oddly remind you of an excited dog. You grin as Kageyama did a service ace, causing the entire gym to howl with excitement.

As Kagayama's reenter into the court boosting the team's morale, the points for Karasuno begun to climb. You laughed at your friends' behavior on court, glad that they were enjoying themselves. However, the moment the rotation happens and it was turn for Tsukishima to be on court with Kageyama, you began to grimace. 

"Well, this is gonna be a disaster." You mumbled, your brother agreeing with you. 

You see, the relationship between said pair was as bad as your relationship with the string bean, if not worst. Basically, Kageyama was the female version of you, only ten times worst. 

"Why did it turn into Tsukishima versus Kageyama?!" Tanaka shouted with one of his infamous looks. 

You gave a sigh as Tsukshima and Kageyama glanced at one another, tension crackling between them. Well, this was going to be fun. You gave Tsukishima an irritated look as you handed him his water bottle during a short break given to the players. The middle blocker raised an eyebrow, wondering what has he done this time. 

"Honestly, can't you and Kageyama just cooperate with one another? For goodness sake, you guys are in the middle of a match. There's no time for your childish antics. Honestly, you two are worst than me and you string bean." You glared at the blonde who simply return a blank look.

Tsukishima took a sip of water before answering you. "Why should I listen to the king, let alone you?"

Yamaguchi held you back as you tried to aim a punch to the megane. "This is the reason why so many people doesn't get along with you, you asshat."

"Well, everyone except you. Oh. Could it be because you are in love with me?"

"Why you, string bean! Who the hell would fall in love with you except Yamaguchi here?"

"Eh?!"

"Gomen Yam-yam, I think you two look cute together."

Cue Yamaguchi bursting into a brilliant red. 

All three of you heard a footstep and judging on the look on Tsukishima's face, it was none other than Kageyama. Kageyama looked tense and wary as he approached his teammate who has been harassing him since day one of high school. 

"What?"

Kageyama glanced up at Tsukishima before looking down at his feet again. You looked at the setter in curiosity as his mind seemed to be waging a war. Could it be that the blueberry roll was trying his best to talk with string bean? Seeing the concentrated look on Kageyama's face, you can't help but 'awww'. Sometimes Kageyama was too cute. 

The whistle blew as rest time was over. Before Tsukishima could return back to court, you grabbed on his wrist. Tsukishima glanced back at you with an annoyed look as you gave him a pointed look. 

"Please. Just try to cooperate with Kageyama for once."

"Yea yea whatever." Tsukishima rolled his eyes as you released your hold on him, frowning at the middle blocker reply. 

As the game continues on, you could see that Tsukishima was getting frustrated with Kageyama. You knew that it was because the set up done by Kageyama doesn't suit the string bean, him constantly not being able to spike comfortably. You bit your lips in worry, hoping that Kageyama would do something about it soon. 

Keishin asked Takeda to request for a time out, having enough of Tsukishima and Kageyama. You turned to Kageyama who looked so downtrodden. You gave him a smile as you offered him a towel. "I know it's not easy cooperating with string bean here as he can really get on your nerves. Trust me, I have first hand experience in that. But he's your teammates and you're currently in an official match. Maybe you can put your hate for beanpole aside just for now?"

Kageyama took the towel from you as he replied, his eyebrows furrowed. "The thing is, I just don't know what to say to that idiot. Every time a word comes out from my mouth, it turns into an argument. What should I do, (name)-chan?"

You laughed at the lost look on Kageyama's face before answering. "Hahaha! When you're around string bean, it happens all the time. All that comes out of that mouth is trash. I swear that boy is a trash can-"

You stopped talking when you felt eyes glaring into your back. Knowing that it was Tsukishima, you refused to face him knowing that he was probably scowling. You ignored Tsukishima's glare and went on. "Tsukishima might not be an easy person to deal with. But, communication is key when it comes to string bean. Ask him what makes him what toss makes it comfortable for him to spike. And keep this in mind, not everyone is like Hinata."

Kageyama's eyes widen when he heard your words. You stood there with your hands behind your back, a smile on your face as you waited for Kageyama to let your words sink. After a while, the first year turned to you with a determine look and bowed 90 degrees. "Thank you for your help, (name)-chan!"

You laughed at your friend's way of saying thank you before slapping hard on the back. "You're welcome. Now, go! All the best!"

You watched as Kageyama approached Tsukishima, hoping that all will turn out well. 

"Hey!"

Both Tsukishima and Yamaguchi turned to face Kageyama when he called out.

"How was that toss, damm it?"

You face palmed at the way how Kageyama asked Tsukishima about the toss earlier on. This was not what you meant when you told Kageyama to talk to string bean. But then again, this is Kageyama who we are talking about. All that he knows is volleyball while he lacks in other compartment. Well, this is going to be a disaster. 

Or so you thought. 

Yamaguchi, Tsukishima and Hinata gave Kageyama surprised looks before Tsukishima answered monotonously. "Why are you talking like Tanaka-san?"

Tsukishima faced Kageyama fully before continuing, his face set into an annoyed look. "It's like you're saying, 'Shut up, and hit this toss, you commoner," and it pisses me off."

"What?" Irk marks appearing on Kageyama's face.

"DAMMIT IT STRING BEAN! CAN'T YOU BE NICE FOR ONCE?!"

"What do you mean?" You and Suga looked at the setter in surprise, not expecting that at all. So did Tsukishima. 

"I have my own way of doing things, so I'd rather you keep your tosses consistent."

Your mouth dropped open in wonder at Tsukishima's response as he ignored you, going on. 

" You're not the only one thinking. 'The shape of the opponent's defense.' 'The best attacks I've been doing today.' We're all thinking about that. Even Hinata has started thinking enough to use normal quicks now, right? Though just barely."

"What'd do you mean by just that?! What do you mean 'just barely'?!"

"Now. Now..." Suga tried to calm Hinata down as he held the failing boy by his armpits. 

"All right." 

Once again, everyone stared at Kageyama's response in surprise. At this point your mind was reeling at trying to wrap whatever was on going around your head. What was going with this two? Have they been abducted by aliens and being replaced by aliens' Kageyama and Tsukishima? You are so confused!

"You're rather agreeable today. You feeling okay?"

"We're just going to have to try and find out." 

With that Kageyama returned back to court as Tsukishima followed after him with a perplexed look on his face. You haven't seen such a look on his face before! You were beyond baffled. You turned to face Suga and said. "Is Kageyama okay? Has he been replaced by an alien? I haven't seen such a look on string bean's face before!"

Suga chuckled in reply. "Tsukishima's probably not used to people who face him head on, and he can't run from that."

You only nodded like a lost puppy as you shift your attention back to the court, hoping that this time around the pair wouldn't messed up. You looked at Kageyama who was ready to toss the ball to Tsukishima when he remembered what the middle blocker said. Keeping that in mind, Kageyama did a simple toss towards Tsukishima who did a feint, earning a point. 

You gave a loud cheer along with your teammates. Finally, things were looking up to this two. The entire time, you were smiling as Kageyama and Tsukishima worked along side by side with ease. Hell, even Tsukishima was performing better than he did before. You watched with glee as Kageyama once again tossed the ball to Tsukishima who spiked it flawlessly.

You jumped onto your feet, eyes shining with pride at the two who for once put aside their differences. Who knew that they could work well together if they aren't fighting all the time. Nishinoya bounded after Tsukishima who glanced at the second year with surprise. Tanaka joined in, doing a weird ritual dance that involved fingers pinching. 

"You piss me off, you know that?"

Kageyama turned to looked at Tsukishima with narrowed eyes as he vomited out a praise. "Kn-nife....Nuff....Nice."

You giggled as Tanaka hand chopped Kageyama on the head, saying. "Don't mess up that line Kageyama!"

You turned to both Kageyama and Tsukishima as you gave them both two thumbs up, a bright smile on your face. "Good job you two. I'm proud of you!"

Kageyama bowed once more as he shouted a thank you while Tsukishima turned to the side, his ears a bit red at the sight of your bright smile. However, his heart was singing at the fact he had made you smile. 

***

You were on the edge of your seat as your eyes followed after the volleyball. Aoba Johsai is at match point with Karasuno being two points behind them. If Aoba Johsai gets this point, it means that they will win and going to the next round. Your hands grasped the benches tightly as Karasuno's boys tried to prevent Aoba Johsai from winning the last point. 

Oikawa did a float serve which was saved by Daichi as Kageyama hit towards Asahi who spiked it, only to be blocked by Aoba Johsai's players. You could feel your friends' determination as they desperately keep the ball in the air so that they have more chances to score. As minutes passed, you became even more tensed as Karasuno kept fighting, not giving up. 

Your (e/c) eyes followed as Hinata took off with speed towards the net. Kageyama stared at the ball, his mind calculating where he should tossed the ball from to Hinata. The setter ran to the back of the court as Hinata jumped with all his might, spiking the ball that Kageyama had set up for him. 

You jumped to your feet, ready to cheer when your (e/c) eyes widen and saw what was about to happen. You opened your mouth to warn your friends, but the words were stuck in your throat. As Hinata spiked the ball, Aoba Johsai's players managed to block the ball. 

You stood there frozen as you watched your friends scrambled after the ball, trying to save it before it touched the floor. However, your ears were met with the sound of the ball coming in contact with the ground as Karasuno failed to save it. 

You were too late. 

The whistle blew as the score board was being flipped, changing Aoba Johsai's score from 32 to 33. 

The gym interrupted into loud cheers as you watched your friends collapsed onto their knees, tears pricking at the corners of your eyes. 

Karasuno had lost the inter-high prelims.


	11. Part 2: Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Here you go, the much awaited second part of the story. It's gonna get more interesting from here as it's all what you guys been waiting for! So, enjoy!

"Sorry, Ma'am for coming in right before you open up." Keishin apologized as he gave a smile to the owner of the restaurant, a kind lady.

"Don't worry. This used to happen all the time." She gave everyone in the room a smile, as though they were her children. Keishin smiled at the lady's retreating back once more before turning his attention to the group of high school students who were staring at him with innocent eyes, waiting for him to tell them what to do. 

Keishin shifted his attention to you as you sat next to Tsukishima, your head downcast as your (h/c) hair hid your face from him. Your brother gave a sigh as he focused his attention once more on the group before him. Standing next to Takeda, Keishin began to speak as all eyes followed his movement.

"Running, jumping and anything else that stresses your muscles will cause the fibers to tear. Right after a match, like now, your muscle  are at their limits, so you've got to repair them by eating. That's how you build muscle, and become stronger. So eat. Eat a proper meal."

Keishin took a seat as he finished his speech, turning to give you a smile small. Half way through your brother's speech, you have lifted your head as you followed his every words. You glanced at him, too tired to even force a smile. Keishin simply nodded at you and gestured to the dishes before you, silently asking you to eat. 

You nodded in return before facing the front again, but your hands remained still on your lap, not moving an inch. Seating around you, the boys began digging into their food. 

"Enjoy." The lady happily said as she continued to cook up food for her guests, a kind smile on her face. 

However, you continued to sit there and stared at your bowl of rice as memories of the match against Aoba Johsai occupied your mind. Tears pricked at the corner of your (e/c) eyes as your friends around ate the dishes prepared for them. 

You were about to excuse yourself from the table when a hand entered your line of sight. You followed the hand which belonged to Tsukishima who simply placed a meat into your bowl of rice. You continued to stare at the blonde with a blank look, not knowing what to do next. It's as though your brain no longer function properly. 

Tsukishima simple raised his brows at you before resuming his eating. You turned your attention back to the bowl sitting before you with the meat on it. Slowly but surely, you let out a quiet "itadakimasu" before picking up your chopsticks and placing the meat in your mouth.

Your (e/c) eyes widen as the familiar taste of meat danced on your tongue. You began to eat dishes after dishes like the boys around you as everyone ate in silence, famished after the game. 

Tsukishima looked at you as you took an octopus from a plate the lady just placed down on the table, his eyes not leaving you. Feeling the middle blocker's eyes on you, you turned to face him with your cheeks stuffed like a squirrel. Tsukishima gave you a small smile at the sight before returning his attention to the front, you doing the same. 

You continued to eat as tears slowly began to slid down your face like raindrops. Stuffing your mouth with food to prevent from crying out, you left out muffled sounds. Your friends stopped eating to stare at the sight of you stuffing your mouth as tears continuously to fall like waterfalls.

The sight of their assistant coach silently crying while she ate caused tears to fill the volleyball players's eyes. Wanting to give you privacy, they faced the front and continued eating. One by one, tears began to slid down everyone's faces except Tsukishima who simply looked disheartened.

Keishin and Takeda looked at the students before, smiles on their faces despite the loss Karasuno faced. They knew that deep down, this group of teenagers were strong. They would get back on their feet very soon. But for now, it's okay for these students to cry over their loss. 

***

Stars shone in the night sky as you stared at the moon glowing back at you, sitting on the swing. You were currently at the park on the playground as you sat there swinging back and forth, your earphones plucked into your ears. You softly hummed as music feel your ears, your (e/c) eyes fixated on the sky.

A gentle breeze blew, ruffling your (h/c) hair as the match against Aoba Johsai filled your mind. You closed your eyes as the sound of Hinata's spike being blocked resounded in your ears. You could see the look of horror on Hinata's face when his spike was being blocked. Your friends were so close, two more points and they could have won. Yet, they lost. 

You couldn't stand the looks on the volleyball players' faces when they lost. The looks of horror, disappointment and grimaces still fresh on your mind. And those looks were all your fault. You saw it coming, you knew that Hinata's spike was going to be blocked and yet, you stood there frozen. You wanted to warn them, but the words were stuck in your throat. 

You opened your eyes once more, the stars winking down at you. The park was silent except for the occasional chirping of the crickets, but your mind was roaring with thoughts. You wanted to cry, but all those tears was gone, all that's left was a numbing feeling. 

You continued to sit that as time passed, the match not leaving your mind no matter how hard you tried to forget. Suddenly, you felt someone tapped you on the shoulder which caused you to jumped off the swing. You turned around to face whoever it was with wide eyes, your arms held up in front of you and ready to defend yourself. Like those kung-fu masters. 

"Can you not do that? You look ridiculous." Came a very familiar voice that had you glowering at a certain string bean. 

"Seriously? What is it with you and creeping up on me? And what are you doing here so late at night? Are you stalking me?" You questioned Tsukishima, suspicion could be heard in your voice. 

Tsukishima rolled his eyes as he approached you, replying. "You don't owe this park, Munchkin. It's none of your business as to why I'm here."

You scowled at Tsukishima's reply before looking at him. The middle blocker was dressed warmly for the cold night, he was wearing jeans, a hoodie and white sneakers, his signature 'somy' headphones resting on his neck. Tsukishima looked like any other teenage male hanging out at a mall with their friends. Except, this is Tsukishima Kei. This is the boy who doesn't hang out at the mall with his friends. 

"Take a picture, it will last longer."

"What?!" Your face begin to redden in embarrassment when you realized that you had been caught staring at Tsukishima.

"If you love staring at me, you should take a picture of me so that you can admire it forever." Tsukishima smirked at you.

Your cheeks redden even more at his words. Slapping your hands onto your cheeks, you turned your face away from Tsukishima "A-as if I find your face that good looking. I was just thinking that how could one's face be that ugly and distorted that I had a hard time trying to figure out where your facial features are."

Tsukishima scowled at your words as you smirked in satisfaction at managing to rile up string bean here. Despite being in a depressed mood earlier on, you felt slightly better with the presence of Tsukishima next to you. Not that you would admit it. You leaned against the pole of the swing set and raised your brows at Tsukishima, asking. "What are you doing at the park so late string bean?"

"The same could be said for you."

"Just answer my question will you?"

Tsukishima gave a sigh before turning his gaze to the full moon in the night sky, your eyes following him. The moon reminds you of the male standing next to you. Silent, mysterious and cold. Even his name,  Tsukishima (月島) which means moon in japanese kanji reminds you of the moon. Silence filled the air, before Tsukishima softly said. "I needed to clear my head."

You nodded your head in agreement as once again silence filled the air around you two. Your mind were alive with thoughts about today's match, the loss still affecting you deep to your core. Before Tsukishima came, you were thinking about something. You were thinking that if you only had warned your teammates about the impending doom early, would they have managed to save the ball? Or would they have failed like they did in the match earlier on? 

Maybe it would have make a difference, maybe it would have not. However, at least you had warned them even if they couldn't saved the ball. That's where you feel like it was your fault. You were the assistant coach of Karasuno's boys' volleyball team. It was your job to help them in whatever means to win the match. It was your job to warn them. Yet, you failed. 

This failure left a nasty taste in your tongue. It made you disgusted at the fact that you were their assistant coach whom they relied on and yet you failed them. Maybe you should have not joined as the assistant coach. This way you would not have been the reason for these boys' crushing defeat. They deserve so much better and with you there, you will just be holding them back. 

You have made up your mind. 

"What are you thinking about?" Tsukishima asked as he glanced down at you, curiosity filling his mind. 

You faked a smile as you replied with a force cheer in your voice. "Nothing you have to worry about."

You can't tell Tsukishima that you were planning to quit the team and no longer be their assistant coach. After all, he is part of the team. Tsukishima gave you a pointed look, not believing what you were saying. "It can't be nothing with the way how you look like as though someone killed your puppy."

"Thanks for the very clear analogy there, string bean." You replied dryly. 

"You're most welcome."

You glared at Tsukishima who simply smirked at you. You sighed before giving Tsukishima a grimace, the dimmed light in your usually bright (e/c) eyes causing Tsukishima to soften as he gently nudged you. "Seriously, what's the matter with you? You're usually not like this."

Maybe it was because of the crushing defeat that Karasuno faced made Tsukishima's icy wall to slightly crumble that made him less cold-hearted. After all, Tsukishima was a member of the Karasuno team who fought along with his teammates despite him not being interested in volleyball as much as Kageyama or Hinata does. That explains why you decided to pour out your feelings to Tsukishima, not because he made you warm and fuzzy. 

Or so you tell yourself. 

You gave Tsukishima a sad smile before you took a seat on the swing again and looked up at the moon, hoping that it will give you strength. Knowing that they would be at the park for a while, Tsukishima took a seat on the empty swing next to you, his feet touching the ground. 

"Ne Tsukishima, have you ever want to do something that might hurt those around you but you know that it's for the best? Or at least because you want to protect them?"

Tsukishima raised a brow at your question before answering softly, understanding what you mean as he thought back to his older brother. "I might not have done what you mentioned before, but I do know of someone who did it to me. In the end, it caused a huge distance between that person and me."

You turned to Tsukishima with a curious look, but seeing the bittersweet smile on his face, you decided not to ask. Seeing the curious look your face, Tsukishima immediately hid his emotions behind the walls he had build all those years ago, a passive look on his face. You turned your gaze to your shoes, it would be a lie to say that you didn't felt slightly disappointed that Tsukishima didn't trust you enough to show his inner feeling around you.

Tsukishima looked at you with curiosity and slight concern, wondering what was wrong with you. He has an inkling as to why you weren't yourself tonight. He knows that the crushing defeat that Karasuno faced against Aoba Johsai had left you more upset than usual. The first year just can't figure out what has made you this quiet. 

Tsukishima was about to tell you that if you didn't want to talk about it, it's fine. However before he could so, your soft voice reached his ears. "Before you came to the park and scared the shit out of me, I was thinking about today's match against Aoba Johsai. After thinking for a while, it got me thinking. Would you guys have won if I have not been there?"

Tsukishima gave you a confused look, not understanding where you were coming from. "I don't get it. Karasuno's loss has nothing got to do with you being there or not. It was just that we couldn't save the ball fast enough. Even if you weren't there during the match, we would have still lost."

You gave Tsukishima a bitter smile as you explained. "That's what you think. What you didn't know was, I saw it. I saw it coming. I knew that they were going to block Hinata's spike. I saw it even before Hinata spiked the ball. Yet, I didn't warn you guys fast enough. The words were at the back of my throat, but I couldn't say it. It got stuck in my throat. Before I knew it, the whistle blew and Karasuno had lost against Aoba Johsai."

Tsukishima's eyes widen slightly at your confession. So that what's had been on your mind the entire time. But what he didn't get it was, why were you so upset about it? Even if you had managed to warn them in time, Hinata's spike would have still been blocked. They would have still failed to save the ball. They would have still lost. 

"So what if you didn't warn us in time? Hinata's spike would have still been blocked. The ball would have still touched the ground since we weren't fast enough. We would still have lost against Aoba Johsai. I don't get why you are so hung up on that. It was just one match that we lost. There's no point in crying over spill milk, what's done is done. Get over it."

Anger boiled in you as you clenched your hands into a fists, your nails digging into your skin. Tears pricked at the corners of your eyes as you stood up and fixed an angry look at the male sitting before you. Tsukishima's eyes widen even more, not expecting your reaction. 

"You don't get it, do you?! And I thought you were supposed to be the smart one? It's true that Hinata's spike would have still been blocked. It's also true that the ball would have touched the ground and you guys would have still lost. Maybe it would have make a difference, maybe it would have not. But what you don't get is, I saw it coming and yet I didn't warn you guys. Even if I had said something, you guys would still have lost. However the thing is, I didn't warn you guys! I saw it coming and what did I do? I stood there like a freaking statue!"

At this point, you were shouting at Tsukishima as tears kept coming like rain. You glared at Tsukishima who simply blinked at you, not knowing what to say. You wiped your eyes, but the tears still kept falling. You stood there, your chest heaving at your earlier rant and Tsukishima remained quiet. You stood there for what felt like hours staring at Tsukishima who simply looked at you and not saying anything before you gave a sigh, sagging against the pole. You were tired and upset. 

"It's fine if you don't understand. I get it. To you, it might not seemed like a big deal. After all, it was only one match like you said. But to me, it meant a lot. The reason why I feel so bitter was because I saw it coming and I didn't warned you guys. It might not have made a difference. We might still loose to Aoba Johsai. But at least, I warned you guys and that's what matters. The fact that I stood there like a bloody idiot disgust me. I was so stupid. This is all my fault."

Tsukishima looked at you, feeling lost. He wasn't expecting the outburst to be honest. And he honestly didn't know that you were feeling that way. The male simply thought it was childish of you to be so hung up over the fact that you didn't warned them despite seeing it. Now, he knew why you felt this way. 

It was because you were their assistant coach. It was your duty to ensure that the volleyball players made it through no matter what. And you have felt that you have failed the team when they lost. You felt that you have failed in your job as an assistant coach. You were blaming yourself for their loss. 

Tsukishima thought back to all those times where you work so hard for the team. Staying up late to come up with strategies for not only the team as a whole, but individually as well. Not to mention, the patience and kindness you exhibit as you guide or correct their techniques. You could have continued in volleyball as a player, but you chose to become their assistant coach. 

It was because you wanted the best for everyone. 

You wiped your tears away, sniffling as you stood there hugging yourself. You were stupid to think that Tsukishima cared for you. After all, this boy has a personality of an ice king. You were about to leave the park when suddenly you felt Tsukishima pulling you into a hug. You blinked your eyes in surprise as Tsukishima placed his chin on top of your head, his arms around you. 

You looked up at Tsukishima who easily towered you as he smiled softly down at you. "I understand what you meant now. I'm sorry I made you cry. You might think that way, but no one blames you for the loss. In fact, the team would have scolded you for having such thoughts. Be honest with me, you were planning to quit the team, weren't you?"

Your eyes widen at what Tsukishima said. You didn't mentioned that you were planning to quit the team and yet, he figured it out all on his on. You stared at Tsukishima who went on with a sad smile. "I was right, aren't I? If you want to leave, I will support you. But I'm not sure about the others. I'm sure they will fight to ask you to stay, but eventually they will support you too. However, is this what you really want?"

Hearing those words, your minds began to fill with all those memories you had made with the Karasuno's volleyball team. Memories of you and Tsukishima always arguing, Kageyama and Hinata having lunch with you, discussing about volleyball strategies. Yamaguchi who never failed to make you smile. Tanaka and Nishinoya being idiots that always manages to make you laugh till you cry while poor Ennoshita tries to stop them. Meanwhile, Chikara and Kinoshita shaking their heads at the trio. The third years being the kind souls that they were as they guide and encourage their juniors. Your brother and Takeda scolding you guys. 

If you were to leave them, you would definitely miss all those fun times you had with them. Heck, you might not even see Nekoma anymore. You turned to Tsukishima with a bright smile as you laughed, your eyes still glossy with tears. "Who knew that you can be such a gentleman string bean?"

Tsukishima immediately revered back to his tsundere mode as he glanced away with a blush on his face, his arms still around you as he said. "Tch. It would be troublesome if you were to suddenly quit the team without someone talking about it with you. I would have to deal with the idiots and their annoying cries about why their precious crow left the team. I was simply doing myself a favor. Don't get the wrong idea."

You giggled at the blush on Tsukishima's face. "Who knew you were such a tsundere? So cute."

Tsukishima simply replied with a shove of your face into his chest, so that you wouldn't see his face that has become redder. You smiled to yourself before burying your face into Tsukishima's chest, his warmth calming you down as he tightened his arms around you. 

The two of you stood like that until it was time to go home as it was getting late. Tsukishima would be lying to himself if he wasn't upset at the fact that you might leave the team. He might not show it, but you have really grown on him and couldn't bear not seeing you at practice, shouting at him to not be lazy during training. 

Besides, the blonde haired male preferred a smile on your face as compared to a frown. It suits you way better. After all, Tsukishima thinks that when you smile, it was the most beautiful things his eyes have ever come across. He would do anything for you as long as that smile remains.  

***

As you were lying in bed, you thought back to what Tsukishima said. The beanpole was right about you being so stupid to blame yourself for Karasuno's loss. You were such an idiot to think that your teammates would blame you for their loss. In fact, they would beat your ass up for even having those thoughts, especially Suga and Daichi. You shuddered at the thought. With your mind made up, you drifted to sleep with a smile on your face. 

Later that day...

"Kiyoko-san!" Tanaka's and Nishinoya's voices could be heard as they called out their beauty manager's name. 

Hinata, Kageyama and Hinata turned to the direction of the two second years' voices where they stood at the entrance with joy in their eyes, the rest of the second years standing behind them. 

"You're beautiful as ever, Kiyoko-san!" Tanaka complimented the black-haired third year. 

"We've come to see you!" Nishinoya added with stars in his eyes. 

"We'll follow you forever!" The duo ran with their arms crossed as they leaped over Kiyoko who simply ducked down, sending them flying out of the gym. 

"Don't get hurt." Ennoshita warned the immature duo.

Hinata glanced to the second year as he said, confusion in his voice. "I thought you all had today off."

"Then why are you here?" Ennoshita laughed. 

"Heya!" Yamaguchi greeted as he and Tsukishima entered the gym, the blonde saying a soft "hey". 

"Now, we are just waiting for the third years." Nishinoya said. 

"But there isn't club today in the first place." Ennoshita replied, the ever pessimist. (sorry ennoshita! ><)

"Hey, hey, hey. There's no way the third years are going to quit." Tanaka scolded Ennoshita.

Hearing the bald spiker's words, Hinata's eyes widen in horror as he questioned. "Huh? What do you mean the third years... The third years are staying, right? They are still going to spring tournament, right?"

Hinata directed his last sentence to Kiyoko who was approaching them. Before Kiyoko can reply, Hinata's and Kageyama's eyes widen as they heard footsteps outside the gym, followed by Suga's voice. "Crap. Hurry."

Their eyes lit up at the sight of the third years as Kiyoko nodded her head, a smile on a face. "Yeah, we are."

Happiness filled the first years and second years at the news of their seniors going with them to the spring tournament. However, it only lasted for a short while when Suga asked, glancing around for a certain (h/c) haired female. 

"Wait, where's (name)-chan?"

At the mention of their assistant coach's name, everyone looked at one another and wondered where could the first year be. Daichi turned to Tsukishima and Yamaguchi to ask about her whereabouts. "Tsukishima, Yamaguchi. You are both in (name)-chan's class right? Do you know where is she?"

Yamaguchi shook his head as he replied his captain. "I'm sorry, I don't know where did (name)-chan went to. The moment class ended, she was out of the door. Maybe Tsukki knows where she went."

All eyes turned to the tall first year who have remained quiet all this time. Tsukishima glanced at all of his teammates, not sure what to say. Sure, he asked you last night to think about it before quitting the team for good. However, seeing that you were not here, Tsukishima assumed you have made your mind to quit the team. At that thought, a frown settled on his face. 

Everyone's eyes widen at the frown on Tsukishima's face, disbelief coloring their faces. It couldn't be right. Tsukishima has to be joking. With a nervous smile, Tanaka asked Tsukishima. "You are just playing a joke on us right?"

When Tsukishima didn't answered him, Tanaka's face fell. Seeing the despondent looks on his teammates' faces, Suga tried to cheer them up. "Now, now, not let's jump to conclusion. (name)-chan could be busy that's why she is not here right?"

Tsukishima looked into the sliver-haired's eyes, his eyes telling the third year otherwise. Suga's eyes widen as he stammered. "It-it can't be. It's not like (nickname)-chan to just drop everything and run."

Silence filled the gym as despair filled the team. They couldn't believe. They couldn't believe that their assistant coach who they have come to acknowledge as friend to just simply quit just because they lost one match. Were they so bad that she felt disgusted and left them?

Tsukishima couldn't believe his mind either. This wasn't like you at all. He thought that you were going to stay after what happened last night at the park. Well, the way you seemed to smile convinced the male. Unless of course, you were a really good actor.

Everyone was about to accept the idea that you were leaving them when suddenly they heard the gym door slammed open. All heads turned towards that direction, hoping it was their friend. Lo and behold, there you were. You were bent over as you tried to catch your breath, having run all the way here. 

"(name)-chan? You're not quitting the team, right?" Hinata asked, a hopeful look on his face. 

Your (e/c) eyes widen at what Hinata said. You turned from left to right, seeing the hopeful looks in your friends' eyes. You smacked yourself in the face. You forgot to tell Tsukishima or Yamaguchi that you'll be late as your teacher asked you to bring the books down to the staff room. 

"I'm so sorry everyone. I forgot to tell Tsukishima or Yamaguchi that I'll be late as I was helping Yukino-sensei to carry some stuffs to the staff room." You explained yourself to avoid misunderstanding. 

All the players sagged their bodies in relief, glad that you were staying and not leaving the team. You simply smiled in amusement at your teammates' over imagination. 

Daichi approached you as he slung an arm around your shoulders as he gave you a noogie, pretending to scold you. "You gave us a scare. We really thought you were planning to quit the team."

Everyone laughed at their captain's action, except you. With a serious look on your face, you turned to them and said. "I was actually planning to quit the team after the loss against Aoba Johsai."

Everyone was stunned into silence at your confession, not knowing how to respond. Until, Suga broke the silence as he softly asked. "But you are not really planning to quit right?"

Your face broke in a smile as you explained, reassuring your friends. "Not anymore. Thanks to a certain person who managed to talk me out of it."

With that, you glanced at Tsukishima who looked away, feigning innocence. Not before long, everyone broke into laughter and smiles as they all approached you. 

"You scared the shit out of us you know?" Nishinoya complained as he smothered you against his chest.

"Gomensai, Noya-senpai! But I really can't breathe." You gasped for air as you pushed against the libero, trying to escape from him. 

Thankfully Suga came to your rescue. Suga placed an arm on your shoulders as he glanced at you before looking at everyone else. With a bright smile on his face, the setter raised his fist into the air as he proclaimed loudly. 

"Let's go to the spring tournament!"

Everyone glanced at one another with excited smiles as they threw their fists into the air, agreeing with the third year. 

"ALL RIGHT!" 

You smiled to yourself at the team you have come to love. Never again are you going to leave them or even think of leaving them. After all, you're right where you belong. 


	12. Part 2: Chapter 12

"Nice receive!"

Your (e/c) eyes followed after the volleyball which was tossed to Tanaka instead of Hinata as the bald second year spike it across the net, scoring a point. You stood next to Kiyoko as you took down notes in your notebook for your own personal use. You glanced up to see Kageyama raised his hands letting out a shaky "whoo" as Tanaka high five the setter with everything he got.

You laughed at the blueberry setter who never fail to amuse you with his awkward social skills. You turned your focus back to the court as the match continued, your eyes following every player's movement closely and taking necessary notes down. The boys' volleyball team is currently having a practice match among one another. As the assistant coach, you were determined to note down every single flaws and perfections of your team.

After what happened the last time round, you were ready to up your game. 

'There we go. This should give Hinata more chances in the air.' You thought to yourself with a nod of your head. Suddenly from the corner of your eyes, something caught your attention. You glanced up just in time to see Tsukishima doing a feint, getting pass Hinata's and Kageyama's block. Your (e/c) eyes sparkled with awe, never failing to be impressed by Tsukishima whenever he does something unexpected. 

"It's funny how you keep falling for that." Tsukishima smiled smugly at the idiotic duo who were glowering at him. However, Tsukishima's eyes weren't focused on his fellow teammates in front of him. Instead, he was focusing on a certain (h/c)-haired female. For some unknown reasons, Tsukishima had this urge to impress you with his volleyball plays. 

Well, he wasn't disappointed by the look on your face. Your (e/c) eyes were glimmering with awe as your face lit up, the sight causing Tsukishima's heart to race slightly faster. The middle blocker looked down to his chest in confusion, a frown on his face. Why was he having such feelings at seeing your face filled with awe? Tsukishima glanced up once more and was surprised when he made eye contact with you. 

Awe shifted to confusion as you stared at Tsukishima who was glancing down at his chest, a frown on his face. Is he okay? You thought to yourself as you felt slightly worried for the blond. You're deep in thought that you didn't realized you had been staring at Tsukishima for quite a while until you saw the look of surprise on his face. Surprise filled you as well as the two of you held gazes, not caring what was going in the background. 

However the whistle blew, its piercing sound breaking the bubble that you and Tsukishima were in. Both your eyes widen before a blush settled on Tsukishima's face as his brows furrowed in annoyance, turning his attention back to the game that was happening. Now was not the time for this. After all, Tsukishima is in the middle of a match. He can deal with this later. 

You let out a disappointed sigh unknowingly before facing Kiyoko, about to discuss with her about something when the third year gives you a look that you can't decipher. You tilted your head to the side, a confused look on your face as you asked. "Kiyoko-senpai, are you alright? You have a weird look on your face."

Kiyoko shook her head with a smile as she replied. "I'm fine. I was just observing the way how you looked at Tsukishima-san with awe in your eyes when he did a feint."

At the mention of the beanpole, you began to ramble in excitement. "I just can't help it but be impressed whenever that string bean does something unexpected. I mean he is usually not putting in effort when it comes to volleyball, so he takes me by surprise whenever he does things unexpectedly..."

You went on and on, not realizing that everyone had stopped to stare at you. Kiyoko gently tapped you on the shoulder as she quietly said. "(name)-chan, you're being too loud. Everyone is staring at you."

You stopped babbling when you heard what Kiyoko said. Your eyes widen as you glanced at everyone who was giving you either a smirk or curious looks. When your eyes landed on Tsukishima who was staring at his feet with a light blush on his face, you began to feel your face turning hotter. Feeling mortified, you grabbed your notebook and began scribbling furiously, hiding your face. 

Both you and Tsukishima's face burned hotter as your friends laughed at you two. You couldn't believe that everyone has heard what you said, especially that string bean! You let out a groan at your stupidity as your brother shouted at everyone to get back to practice. You glanced up Kiyoko in embarrassment who simply smiled gently at you before focusing back on the match, you doing the same. 

As the match continued, you caught yourself staring at Tsukishima many times. Every time you do that, you could feel your heart pumping faster as a light blush settled on your face. You weren't the only one feeling the same way as Tsukishima also caught himself constantly looking at you after he did something, be it blocking or spiking. He can't but help wanting to know if you are impressed by his moves. 

The two of you weren't sure what was happening so you and Tsukishima brushed it off as having a day off, believing that everything will return back to normal after having some rest. 

Little did these two teenagers know, this was simply just the beginning of something that neither both of them expect to happen. 

***

"Daichi-san, you need to go down more if you want to be fully stretched. Come on, you can do it!" 

"(name)-CHAN! MY BODY IS GOING TO BREAK IF YOU KEEP BENDING ME!!"

Daichi's screams of pain could be heard throughout the gym as you kept pushing him on the back, trying to make him go down further. Training has ended and the boys were doing cool down exercise. You being the kind soul that you were had kindly volunteered to help Daichi with his cool down. His teammates sweat dropped at the sight of their captain struggling as you kept pushing him down, probably think that he was flexible. 

Thankfully for Daichi, Keishin came to his rescue as he needed to discuss something with you. You left Daichi who looked like he was on the verge of death to Suga help him and approached your brother. You turned to Keishin and said. "What's up, nii-chan?"

Keishin gave a sigh before asking you. "(nickname)-chan, how do you think the team is doing so far?"

"Hmmm", you gave a thoughtful sound, thinking back to practice match earlier on before continuing, "I think the boys are starting to discover their potential. However, they lack in experience. Why?"

Your brother gave you a serious look before explaining. "What you said is true. It's good that the boys are realizing their potential and working on it, however they lack experience. This is my main concern. It will good for them to be expose to different opponents, but that will be difficult and I can't always ask the neighborhood association to turn up. So, I'm at a lost."

You opened your mouth to gave a suggestion, only to realize you don't have one. So, you simply gave your brother a lost look, feeling a bit guilty that you couldn't help him. Keishin gave a sigh as he racked through to his brain for ideas when suddenly, the gym door opened and Takeda fell through, his face kissing the floor. 

"Ah! Takeda-sensei? Are you okay?"

You worriedly asked, stepping forward with an outstretched hand to help the black-haired male when suddenly he lifted his head, exclaiming. "We're going, right?"

"Where?" Hinata asked curiously. 

"Your nose is bleeding!" Kageyama commented. 

Ignoring Kageyama's comment, Takeda straightened his glasses as he lifted his hand holding a paper with words written on it, simply saying, "Tokyo."

Everyone's eyes widen as you tilted your to one side, asking in a confused voice. "Tokyo?"

Takeda simply gave a nod as your mouth widen into a grin as excitement filled your voice. "You mean Nekoma?!"

Meanwhile in Tokyo... 

"Achoo!" Kenma sneezed as his handphone flew out of his hands, landing in Kuroo's hands. Yaku being the mother of the team, took out a piece of tissue for Kenma to clean the giant snot dangling from his nose. (ew!)

Back to Karasuno...

"A practice match?" Kageyama questioned.

"Yeah! But it wouldn't just be Nekoma this time." As Takeda explained more the practice match with not just only with Nekoma but with other schools from Tokyo, excitement began to fill you at the thought of seeing your friends again. The last time you saw Nekoma was during the golden week when Karasuno had a practice match with the cat school. 

Despite you keeping  contact with your friends from Tokyo, you really missed them. However, now that Takeda had managed to arrange a training camp in Tokyo, you can finally see your friends once more. 

You weren't the only one who was excited to see Nekoma again. After the practice match against Nekoma, the volleyball players of Karasuno had formed friendship with the team and were excited to not only meet them, but to go against them once more. 

You grinned at your friends' reaction to the news, each of them can't wait to go up against their rivals/friends again. Your face was almost splitting at the thought of seeing Kuroo, your cat brother that you haven't seen in months. 

"Why are you grinning like an idiot?" Tsukishima asked as he glanced at the huge grin on your face. 

You turned to Tsukishima with stars in your eyes, your hands clenched in excitement as you replied him. "I can't believe that I can see Kuroo-nii again! I miss him so much!"

Tsukishima could feel some unknown feelings rising within him at the sight of your glowing face when you learned that you would be seeing the cat captain again. He ignored those feelings as he gave you a small smile and patted you on the head, saying. "I'm sure he'll be happy to see you."

You beamed up at the magane, completely oblivious to what the megane was feeling. You turned to your attention back to Takeda as he gave more details to the upcoming training camp in Tokyo. 

"The training camp wouldn't be so soon as Tokyo's prelims for Inter-high start this weekend and there are still some details that need to be work out. But it seems that all of you are..."

"Of course we'll go!" Everyone cheered, their voices reaching the roof of the gym. 

You can't wait to go to Tokyo!

***

"Tsukishima! You looked so lonely sitting there all by yourself. Come, let's have lunch together!"

Tsukishima glared at the loudness of your voice as you turned your chair around to face Mr Grumpy here. It was currently lunch time and seeing that Tsukishima was having lunch by himself, you decided to join him. Usually Yamaguchi would be eating with you guys, but he had something to do. Thus leaving you and Tsukishima alone together to have lunch. 

Seeing the glare on the beanpole's face, you rolled your eyes as you took out two bento and placed in on the table, pushing one towards Tsukishima who raised an eyebrow at you. 

"What's this?" Tsukishima asked. 

"It's a bomb. Obviously it's a bento." You sarcastically replied. 

Tsukishima scowled at your sarcasm and you simply ignored him. You broke your chopsticks in half and let out a "itadakimasu", digging into your food. With a mouth full of rice, you faced Tsukishima and explained. "It's for you. I bake strawberry shortcake yesterday and had left over."

You weren't going to tell Tsukishima the real reason you made strawberry shortcake was because of him. After all, what Tsukishima doesn't know wouldn't hurt him. 

Tsukishima looked at you in disgust before pulling the bento closer to him and lifted the lid. Sure enough, inside was a delicious looking strawberry shortcake. Tsukishima glanced up at you with suspicion in his golden eyes. 

You rolled your eyes as you took another bite, replying to his silent question. "I didn't add poison to the cake, in case you were wondering. So, it's safe to eat."

The first year gave you a suspicious look once more before picking up the fork and placed a bite into his mouth. You leaned forward in anticipation, watching his face for any reaction. Sweetness danced on Tsukishima's tongue the moment he took a bite. 

This was the by far the best strawberry that Tsukishima had even eaten. 

Your eyes gleaned with joy as Tsukishima ate bite after bite. In less than five minutes, the bento was empty as Tsukishima wiped his mouth with a napkin. Tsukishima glanced up at you as you stared at him with eagerness on your face. 

"So, what do you think? Based on the way how you finished the cake so quickly, I shall take it as the cake was delicious?" You asked monotonously. 

Despite your voice being montone, Tsukishima could see the nervous look in your eyes. He could tell that you wanted to hear his remarks after tasting the cake. In truth, Tsukishima genuinely enjoyed the cake. But in reality, being the sadist that he was, he decided to mess around with you. 

Tsukishima placed his hands on his chin as he pretended to think about what to say. At this point, you were basically shaking in anticipation, the urge to know what Tsukishima thinks about your cake becoming stronger. You kept shifting in your seat restlessly as time kept dragging on. Finally after what felt like forever, Tsukishima looked at you with a serious look as you leaned forward. 

"So?"

"..."

"Oh, come on!  Don't leave me hanging string bean, it's killing me!"

Your entire body was leaning over the table as your face was directly in front of Tsukishima's face. Tsukishima flicked your forehead, causing you seat back down in your chair and whimpering in pain. The blond-haired male smirked at the glare you send his way. 

"What the hell string bean! Was that really necessary?!"

"You were in my personal space.'

"You could have simply told me to back off instead of flicking me on the head! It hurts!" 

You complaining as Tsukishima ignored you, putting his headphone and looked out of the window. You rubbed your sore forehead before turning back to finish your lunch, a miserable pout on your head. A few minutes passed as you finished your lunch in silence. You packed both the bentos that you brought with you to school into your school bag and stood up to throw any remaining dustbin when you heard Tsukishima saying in a quiet voice.

"The cake was delicious. I like it."

You smiled as you headed to the dustbin to throw the rubbish in. The smile stayed on your face for the rest of the day and for some reason, Tsukishima was in a good mood as well which puzzled his classmates. 

Sometimes your class has a hard time trying to understand the two volleyball players. 

Later that afternoon...

"Oikawa's featured in _Monthly Volleyball,_ and it even has his picture." Tanaka complained, his hands shaking in rage as he stared at the magazine, a picture of Oikawa staring back at the bald second year. 

 The volleyball players were currently in the club room getting ready for their training and some of them were looking at the latest issue of _Monthly Volleyball_. Irritation could be seen on Nishinoya, Tanaka, Kageyama and Hinata's faces as they read through the article featuring Oikawa Tooru from Aoba Johsai. Meanwhile Suga's face simply expressed confusion, not understanding what's all the huge fuss about. 

When Tanaka came across the page showing that the third years volleyball players of Aoba Johsai will be staying on, he almost tore the magazine in half as he shouted in rage. "Come on and bring it, Seijoh!"

Hinata showed his agreement by shouting at the top of his lungs as Suga slapped Tanaka in the face, causing the second year to fall to the floor, loosing his grip on the magazine. With a panic look on his face, Suga scolded Tanaka. "Hey! You're gonna rip it!"

Suga bend down to pick up the magazine from the floor as he flipped it opened, letting out a sigh at the behavior of his junior. "For crying out loud..."

However he stopped talking when he saw an article featuring Ushijima Wakatoshi from Shiratorizawa stared back at him. With a curious look on his face, Suga said "It's Ushikwaka." and attracting the attention of his teammates. 

They skimped through the page until Hinata's eyes focused on the word "Japan" printed on the jacket that Ushijima was wearing and loudly exclaimed, "Japan?"

That was when Daichi and a few of the other volleyball players entered the room, telling the remaining players to get out out of the club room as training was about to start. Suga turned to face Daichi with widen eyes, surprise written all over his face. 

"Hey...Ushiwaka's in the Youth World."

"What?" 

"Youth world?" Yamaguchi asked. 

"It means that he's representing Japan in the under 19 age group." Everyone turned to the direction of your voice as you answered Yamaguchi's question. 

"(name)-chan, what are you doing here?" Daichi asked as he raised an eyebrow at you. 

You simply smiled as you replied. "I came here to inform you that I wouldn't be able to join you guys in today's training."

All the boys stared at you with curious looks on their faces as you simply chuckled, saying. "I will be attending Shiratorizawa's boys' volleyball team's training today."

Upon hearing your words, Tsukishima glanced at you with a smug look as he accused you. "Oho, so Munichkin-chan here has decided to betray her own team by attending another school's volleyball training instead of her team's?"

You turned to glare at Tsukishima before facing your friends who looked sadden at the though. You gave a sigh as you raised your hands in surrender, explaining. "Don't listen to string bean. It's just only for today that I had to attend Shiratorizawa's training. It's important and I can't skip it."

"What business do you have with that school?" Daichi asked, his eyes narrowed at you. 

You rolled your (e/c) eyes at your captain. You honestly can't believe that your very own friends will think that you are betraying them for another volleyball team. What's the point of being friends if they can't trust you? 

Placing your hands on your hips, you fixed your teammates a stern look and said in a serious tone. "Look, I'm not betraying you for another team, alright? It's just that I have been asked by the coach of Youth World to dropped by Shiratorizawa and checked up on Ushijima-san since he ignored the calls and messages sent to him."

You were only met with silence. 

You glanced at your friends with confusion as you asked. "What's the matter? Why are you guys so quiet all of a sudden?"

Suddenly, shouts of surprise, shock and anger filled the tiny club room as your friends erupted into chaos. 

"The coach of Youth World contacted you?!"

"(name)-chan, what's your connection with them?"

"Looks like Munichkin-chan has once again betrayed us."

"AHHHH! DON'T LEAVE US, (NICKNAME)-CHAN! PLEASE!."

You sweat dropped at the boys' reaction, especially at Hinata's who has his arms wrapped around your waist as he knelt in front of you with tears in his enlarged eyes, begging you not to leave the team. You tried to pry Hinata's arms off you as you explained yourself, hopefully it will calm them down. 

"Guys, chill! Seriously. And Hinata, let go of me. The reason why the coach of Youth World contacted me to check on Ushijima-san is because as the manager of the Japan's Youth World team, it's my job to check up on the players once in a while during the off-peak season when they are not competing. I'm not gonna leave Karasuno's team."

The boys gave a sigh of relief before nodding their heads in understanding. You let out a sigh of relief as Hinata finally released you from his tight embrace. Silence filled the club room for a while before Nishinoya asked, "Wait, if I didn't hear wrongly, did (name)-chan said that she is the manager of the Japan's Youth World team?"

Everyone's widen at the libero's words. Before another chaos can break out again, you hurriedly said. "Before you guys freak out again, please listen to what I had to say. The reason why I am the manager of the Japan's Youth World team was because their previous manager had some family issue and took a break from them. At the same time, I was planning to quit the Russia's female's Youth World team since I'm planning to complete my studies in Japan. They needed a new manager and since I was available considering I was no longer playing as the libero for the Russian team, they decided to ask me. So, I said why not and accepted their offer. "

The players let out noises of understanding as you calm down at the fact they weren't going to freak out. Except they were freaking out due to the excitement of their assistant coach being the manager of Japan's Youth World team. Chatters broke out among the boys as they discussed about this new piece of information about you. 

Maybe you shouldn't have told them. 

But you were glad that you did when they turned to you with awe and admiration in their eyes as they shoot you questions after questions, especially Kageyama and Hinata who were shaking with pure curiosity and excitement. Meanwhile, Tsukishima glanced at you as you patiently answered his teammates' burning questions regarding about Youth World. He would be lying if he denied the fact that Tsukishima was surprised that you were their manager. 

This just showed that your talent as a volleyball player was out of this world. 

"(name)-chan, is it really true that the players in the Youth World are as tall as giants?" Hinata asked, curiosity shinning in his eyes. 

You laughed at the orange-haired's innocence. "Hahaha! The volleyball players are tall, but they are not as tall as giants. At the most, they are slight taller or around the same height as Tsukishima."

"Sugoi!"

You smiled at Hinata's enthusiasm before facing the rest as you said with a guilty smile. "I wish I can stay and talk more, but I gotta go. Also, I apologized for not being able to attend today's training. But don't worry as it's only a one time thing."

"It's fine (name)-chan. You better go or else you'll be late. We'll see you at tomorrow's training." Suga kindly said, assuring you that none of them was angry at you. 

With once last wave and a chorus of goodbyes from your friends, you left Karasuno and headed for Shiratorizawa. 

***   

"Waka-kun! Get your ass here right now!"

The volleyball players of Shiratorizawa turned to the direction of the voice and they were met with a fuming (h/c)-haired female standing by the entrance of their school's gym. You were basically glaring at Ushijima who blinked at the sight of you. His teammates turned to stare at him with curious or confused looks as he made his way towards you. 

"(name), what are you doing here at Shiratorizawa?" Ushijima asked monotonously, his face blank as usual. 

You crossed your arms as you left out a huff, saying. "You tell me, Waka-kun."

Ushijima once again blink blankly at you as a frown settled on his face. "I have no clue."

You let out a sigh as you patiently explained to the ace of Shiratorizawa standing in front of you, looking clueless. "Coach send me here since you kept refusing to reply his texts or calls. Because of that, I have been asked, more like forced, to come down to your school to check on you."

"I'm sorry for not replying coach's texts or calls."

"It's fine Waka-kun, I'm not here to scold you. Besides it's my job as your manager to ensure that you are doing well."

"I'm well."

"My, my what do we have here?" 

You and Ushijima turned your head around at the third voice. Your eyes widen when you saw that it was none other then Satori Tendou, a middle blocker. "Tendou-kun, nice to see you again. It's been a while."

Satori placed an arm around you as he rubbed his right cheek against your left while you giggled at his actions. This was yours and Satori's usual way of greeting. The red-haired male took a good long look at you before saying. "Hey there, (nickname)-chan. How have you been?"

You grinned at Satori as you replied. "I'm fine. I'm currently attending Karasuno High and I'm the assistant coach for the boys' volleyball team there."

"Ah, the flightless crows. I've heard of them before." 

You scowled at Satori at the way how he mocked your friends. As long as you are around, you wouldn't forgive those who talked bad about the Karasuno's volleyball team. After all, they have worked their ass off to get to where they are now. 

So, with a dark look on your face, you grabbed Satori by the front of his shirt and pulled him down so that you were face to face with him. "We might be friends, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't hesitate to kick your ass if you dare to breathe one more bad words about my friends. Is that clear?"

Satori looked at you in surprise before raising his hands in surrender, saying. "I got it, I got it. You don't have to go all ape shit on me."

You released Satori as you ignored him and faced Ushijima once more, back to your usual cheerful self. "Now that's out of the way, I apologized for disrupting your training. So, let's get back to practice while I assessed you to ensure that you are still in touch with your volleyball skills."

Ushijima opened his mouth, wanting to tell you that he was still as skilled as the last time you saw him when you went on. "Don't bother to tell me. I know that you are still as skilled as the last time I saw you. I'm doing this so that coach will stop hounding after me about you. Now, let's go!"

With that, you spend the rest of the afternoon in boredom as you assessed Ushijima. How you wished you could be back at Karasuno training with your friends. At least, their training wasn't as boring as dull as Shiratorizawa's training. 

***

"Hinata? Kageyama? What are you guys doing here? Shouldn't you be at Karasuno training?"

You asked the two first years in confusion who stared at you with panicked looks on their faces. You came out of the gym to have some fresh air, not being able to stand the stuffiness in there. No thanks to Shiratorizawa's coach. You glanced up to Ushijima for an explanation who simply gave you a blank look, not saying anything. 

"(nickname)-chan! What a surprise to see you here!" Hinata laughed nervously.

You simply raised an eyebrow at the ball of sunshine in front of you. 

Ushijima simply ignored you as he spoke up. "As I was saying before (name) appeared. Other than Oikawa, everyone at Aoba Johsai is weak."

Your (e/c) eyes widen at Ushijima's words, not expecting him to say that at all. You knew about the bad chemistry between Ushijima and the players of Aoba Johsai, but you didn't expect him to look down on them just because he was a better player. 

Anger boiled in you as you clenched your hands. You were about to reply when suddenly Hinata spoke up, his hair hiding his eyes. "Weak?"

You watched with guarded eyes as Hinata walked closer towards Ushijima, ready to intervene if things turned sour. 

"If Seijoh is infertile soil, are we concrete or something?" 

You smirked at the look on Ushijima's face as he stared at the predatory look on Hinata's face, resembling that of a hungry crow seeking for blood. Trust Hinata to never back down despite always being scared of players stronger than him. 

"I apologize if I hit a nerve, but words from someone who lost to Aoba Johsai and couldn't even stay in the prefectural finals, mean nothing to me."

You grit your teeth as Ushijima's words struck a cord within you. You admired strong players like Ushijima and Oikawa, you truly do. However the moment they started insulting players that are on the same level as them in terms of volleyball, you can't help but want to slap them. The one thing you hate in this world is people like this. They can be as talented as they want, but if they are not humble about themselves, they lost all respect from you. 

You were about to tell the ace off when a volleyball flew out of the gym, heading in Ushijima's direction. Ushijima jumped to catch the ball, only to be caught by Hinata who jumped in front of the ace. Ushijima's eyes widen in shock at how fast Hinata reacted and caught the ball, the height of his jump catching Ushijima off guard considering Hinata's isn't very tall to begin with. 

"I'm Hinata Shoyo, from the concrete."

You watched as Hinata approached Ushijima and shoved the volleyball into the ace's hands, declaring. "I'm going to beat you, and go to nationals."

Ushijima and Hinata stared at one another, silently vowing that the next time they see each other again will be on court. In your mind, you imagine a crow and an eagle flying next to each other in blue sky, the black and white feathers contrasting against each other. 

"Thank you for showing us around. We'll be going now." Hinata bowed before walking off. 

"If Oikawa-san is the best setter in the prefecture, I'm the one who is going to surpass him." Kageyama stared at Ushijima, also bowing before catching up with Hinata. 

You grinned at your friends' retreating back before turning to Ushijima who glanced down at you, your voice serious as you spoke. "Don't take this the wrong way, Waka-kun. I know that we are friends and teammates, however now that the Youth World isn't competing, we are just friends. I'll let it slide just this once, but the next time you insult Karasuno, I wouldn't hesitate to teach you a lesson whether we are friends or not. The next time we meet, it will be at a court and by then, I can ensure you that Karasuno would no longer be the ' flightless crows' that we once were."

You stared at Ushijima, your eyes resembling a crow as you went on. "I'll make sure of that. So, mark my words. I'll see you again. 

With that, you turned your back onto Ushijima as you caught up with your friends. 

You might be friends with some of Miyagi's best volleyball players, but once you faced them on courts, they become merely rivals to you. Because for now, Karasuno's boys' volleyball team is your main priority and you'll make sure that they will get to nationals. 

After all, you yourself is one of the best volleyball player in Japan. 

***

Bonus:

Later that night, you were with the boys as Takeda talked to everyone. 

"As for our away games in Tokyo, it will be held during the weekend next month. Since it's away from Miyagi, permission slips will be given out to you for your parents or guardians to sign. The school has given us the go ahead sign as well."

At that, everyone looked at one another with smiles on their faces. Your smile remained on your face, that was until Takeda mentioned about exams. 

"However, you have final exams starting next month. Right?"

Takeda stared at Tanaka, Nishinoya, Kageyama and Hinata who immediately looked away. The four boys began to tremble as Takeda went on. "If you fail any subjects, supplementary classes will be that weekend. Which means you wouldn't be able to go to the away games."

You felt a shiver run down your spine at the look on Takeda-sensei's face. For once, Takeda-sensei remind you of a crow with that look on your face. 

Look like going to Tokyo wouldn't be easy as you think it was. 


	13. Part 2: Chapter 13

"You do realize you have finals next month, right?" Takeda asked, his eyes hidden behind his glasses. 

Next to the teacher, you could see your brother jumping at Takeda's words, a look of horror on his face as his memories of being a student came back to him. One thing that every students dreaded would be none other than examinations. 

"Right?" Takeda emphasize as he stared at Hinata, Kageyama, Nishinoya and Tanaka who immediately looked away from their teacher.

"So, I think you know what I'm getting at, but if you any subjects..." The four boys began to tremble as Takeda relay the words spoken by their vice principal to the group of boys gathered in front of him. 

You gave your friends' pity looks at the horrified expressions on their faces when they learned that if they failed any subjects, they wouldn't be able to attend the Tokyo away games since supplementary classes will be held that weekend.  Tanaka and Nishinoya began to ran for their lives, thinking that they could escape from their fates. 

"Hey! There's no where to run! Ennoshita, catch them!" Daichi shouted at the retreating pair who were stopped by the second year. 

Meanwhile, Hinata was close to tears as he mumbled to himself. "Fail...Fail...What counts as a failing grade?"

"That's your question?!" You asked the orange-haired male with a shocked look on your face, not believing his words. Out of all things, you did not expect Hinata to say that at all. 

On the other hand, Kageyama just sat there as his soul flew out of his mouth, his entire body as white as a ghost. 

"Kageyama's not breathing!"  Yamaguchi exclaimed at one glance of the genius setter. 

"Since we said we were going to continue club activities, we have to at least make decent grades." Suga commented with a pitying look on his face, feeling sorry for the four idiots of Karasuno. 

Tsukishima being the sardonic character he was, he smirked at Nishinoya and Tanaka. "You shouldn't fail."

"Maybe if we beg the vice principal..." Hinata desperately asked Takeda.

"Why don't you try really hard and not fail the exam?" Tsukishima taunted Hinata.

"Stop it, you're not helping with the situation!" You whispered-shouted as you jabbed Tsukishima by the side, the said male turning to glare at you. 

Takeda gave a sigh, really wanting to help the boys. But once the principal made up his mind, the chance of changing his mind is slim to none. "Even if we get the vice principal's permission, if you have to take supplementary classes, those will take priority."

You winced at the horrified look on Hinata's face once more as his dream of going to Tokyo shattered in the background. You felt sorry for the middle blocker, knowing how much going to Tokyo meant to him. You only felt even more worried for your friend when he decide to approach your brother for help. 

You shook your head knowing that it would be fruitless asking your brother for help in terms of studies, considering Keishin isn't a very bright person to begin with. You patted Hinata's on the head reassuringly when he collapsed onto his knees upon hearing Keishin's words. 

Suga being the kind soul (bless this boy!) that he was reassured his junior, a gentle smile on his face. "Hinata, I'm sure you don't have to worry this much about it."

"I've never had a double-digit score on any of my quizzes. Will I still be okay?" Hinata turned to the third-year with hopeful eyes. 

"Huh?" You and Suga froze at Hinata's words, him doing the same when he realized his doom. 

Nishinoya and Tanaka, being the "helpful" seniors that they were, simply clasped their hands together as they give Hinata the Bodhisattva look. At this point, Hinata was really beyond help. You stood there next to Hinata as you patted him on the head, feeling sympathetic for the first year as the entire gym broke into chaos. 

"They can do it if they try. They can do it if they try..." (Takeda)

"Sensei, pull yourself together!" (Keishin)

"Ah, the sound of anguish!" (Tsukishima) 

"Get a hold of yourself!" Daichi shouted as the four boys stopped breaking down in despair, turning their attention to their captain. 

"We still have time until exams start. There's no way Karasuno could bring our best without these four idiots! Not a chance!" Daichi continued with conviction. 

"I don't if that statement is meant to be insult or compliment.." You whispered to Tsukishima who raised a brow at you. 

"We're gonna do this...We're all gonna to Tokyo." You shivered at the dark look on Daichi's face, knowing that whatever the third year had in mind is going to be anything but pleasant. 

***

"I'm actually surprised that Kageyama's grades are bad. He seems pretty smart. Hinata's grades don't surprise me at all though." Yamaguchi thoughtfully said. 

"I'm sure all that's in his head is volleyball." Tsukishima absentmindedly comment on his friend's words. 

"String bean! Don't say that, it's mean! Besides, they're your teammates." You admonished the overgrown megane who simply rolled his eyes at you. 

Currently, you were walking home with Yamaguchi and Tsukishima after practice. As you walked, your mind began formatting ideas on how you could help your friends. You could offer to tutor them, but then again, you need to concentrate on your own grades as well knowing that you aren't doing as well as you should be. 

"TSUKISHIMA!" 

The three of you turned around at the sound of Hinata's voice. Standing before you was Kageyama and Hinata who looked they rather be any where else but here. You tilt your head to the side curiously, wondering why would they come after Tsukishima, considering the three of them aren't exactly friendly with one another. 

"Help us study..please." Hinata whispered the word 'please'. 

Tsukishima simply blinked his eyes as he shoot down the short male's help with no hesitation. "What? No."

"Tsukishima!" You gritted through your teeth as you glowered at the male, Hinata's face expressing his irritation. 

"Just like less than an hour each day! Or tell us how to study..." Hinata begged Tsukishima, having no choice at all if he wants to go to Tokyo.

Yamaguchi tried being reasonable as he said to Tsukishima. "It wouldn't hurt to do that a couple of minutes before or after club."

You nodded your head as you added on, "Please string bean! Just help them. I would love to help, but my grades are kinda slipping as well..."

Tsukishima gave a reluctant look as you have him the puppy eyes, your (e/c) eyes glazing over with crocodile tears. For some reason, despite him refusing to help the idiotic duo, Tsukishima can't help but feel that if he were to refuse them, you would most likely be upset. Besides, Tsukishima kinda did silently vowed to himself that he will do whatever he can to make you happy. Not that the tsundere dinosaur would admit it if anyone was to ask him. 

So, hiding his real feelings behind a smirk, he mocked Kageyama. "Hey, I don't think it's fair that you're having the shrimp ask for the both of you. What do you have to say, big guy?" 

You glanced at Kageyama with a sorry look on your face, knowing that whatever Tsukishima said had provoked the blueberry male. Hinata jabbed Kageyama by the side as Kageyama continued to glare at Tsukishima, saying. "Kageyama, ask him!"

"Please teach us." Kageyama mumbled under his breath as you strained your ears, trying to catch his words. 

"What?" Tsukishima cupped a hand to his ear, pretending that he couldn't hear a single thing the genius setter was saying.

"Please...teach us how to study." 

"I don't think I can quite hear you." 

You took a step back as you saw Kageyama trembling in rage. Having enough of being teased by the middle blocker, Kageyama shouted at the top of his lungs. 

"TEACH US HOW TO STUDY!!" 

Everyone was surprised by Kageyama's outburst as he threw his body into a 90-degree bow, his bag hanging by his neck. You immediately plugged your ears when you realized where you are standing in front of. Just then, Keishin threw the door to your family's convenience store open as he angrily shouted. 

"Shut the hell up! You're disturbing the neighbors!"

The boys' ears were still ringing from your brother's shout as they softly apologized. Thankfully you were smart enough to plug your ears beforehand to prevent from going deaf at the volume of your brother's voice. 

"Why am I getting yelled?" Tsukishima murmured, a displeased look on his face. 

After your brother had went back in, you turned to Kageyama and Hinata as you addressed them with a smile. "Don't worry guys. I will try my best to help you as well. So, you don't have to worry about no one helping you if string bean here refuses to help you guys." 

"You're so kind, (nickname)-chan!" Kageyama and Hinata shouted their thanks, their bodies bowed into 90-degrees.

"Ah, please lower your voice before nii-chan comes out and scold you guys again. You don't have to thank me, after all you guy are my friends." You quickly shushed the duo as they sheepishly rubbed their necks. 

Tsukishima watched as you waved goodbye to the duo until they were out of sight. At this point, Yamaguchi had already went home, leaving just the two of you. With a smile on your face, you glanced up at Tsukishima before walking off. 

A comfortable silence wrapped around you and Tsukishima like a warm, fluffy blanket as you two continued the rest of the journey home. Tsukishima glanced down at you who was yawning, almost walking into a streetlamp if not for the middle blocker who pulled you out of the way. 

"Watch where you are going, munchkin. At this rate, you're gonna end up at the hospital." 

You simply rolled your eyes at Tsukishima, too tired to argue with him. Tsukishima let out a sigh as he bend down in front of you, his arms outstretched behind him. You raised an eye brow at the male's behavior, asking. "What on earth are you doing string bean?"

Tsukishima gave you an irritated look as he sarcastically replied. "I'm shitting."

"Please save the sarcasm for another day. Just answer me."

"It's obvious from my pose that I'm offering you a piggy back ride, unless of course you're too blind to see it."

"..."

"Do you want it or not? I'm getting tired."

"What do you get out of this?"

Tsukishima straightened his body, adjusting his uniform before walking off and leaving you behind. You ran after Tsukishima, trying to keep up with his long strides. 

"Oi, Tsukishima wait up for me. I'm sorry."

The blond male simply ignored you as he continued walking as you struggled to catch up to him. For the next five minutes, Tsukishima continued to ignore you as you kept pestering him to answer you. 

"String bean? Earth to string bean?"

"..."

"Look, it's a pink fluffy unicorn!"

"..."

"Oh wow! Is that a dinosaur I see?!"

"..."

You gave up, a pout on your face at the fact that Tsukishima kept ignoring you. However, to your surprise, you were not expecting Tsukishima to offer you a piggyback ride once. This time round, you climbed onto Tsukishima's back without saying anything. Tsukishima tightened his arms around your legs before standing up, your arms securely around his neck. 

For the rest of the way to your house, you lay your head on Tsukishima's back. The sound of his heartbeat beating soundly, like music to your ears. You closed your eyes as you sleepily mumbled, "Thank you, Kei."

"Don't get the wrong idea. I'm only doing this so that I wouldn't be the one responsible for bringing you to the hospital." Tsukishima monotonously replied to hide his embarrassment. 

Instead, he was met with silent. When Tsukishima turned his head to the side, he saw you fast asleep as you breathe in and out gently. Tsukishima faced the front once more and continued the walk to your house, a small smile on his usually stoic face. 

"You're welcome, (name)."

***

"Hey, do you have a moment?"

Training was ongoing when suddenly Kiyoko's voice came from the entrance of the gym, all heads turned to her. You watched with curious (e/c) eyes as a trembling girl with short blonde hair appeared from behind the manager. Your eyes widen at the girl, a sense of nostalgic, as though you saw that girl from somewhere before. 

_"Konichiwa! My name is Ukai (name)! Nice to meet you!"_

_"Koni..nichiwa, I'm Hitoka Yachi."_

_"Oh, hello. Can I call you Ya-chan?"_

_"Ye..es"_

_"We're gonna be great friends, Ya-chan!"_

Your eyes widen even more when a memory of a small, shy blonde-haired girl from your elementary days came to mind. You took a step forward, uncertain if the girl standing before you was your childhood friend as you hesitantly asked. "Ya-chan, is that you?"

Yachi's own eyes widen at the sight of you, both of you not believing the fact that your childhood friend is standing in front of you. With slightly teary eyes, Yachi said your name, her voice thick with emotions.

"(nickname)-chan, is that really you?"

"YA-CHAN!" 

Everyone watched as you took a step forward, flinging yourself into the new girl's open arms. You began to wail like a baby as you let out incoherent speech, joy filling you at the sight of your first friend. Immediately after you finished elementary school in Japan, you moved to Russia and lost all contacts with Yachi. And years later, you couldn't believe that you'll meet her at the same high school. 

But then again, the world is a very small place to begin with. 

"Eh, (name)-chan knows the new manager?" 

You and Yachi broke apart at Hinata's exclamation as you turned to the first year with a surprised look on your face, asking. "You're our new manager?"

However, Yachi was spooked by Hinata's outburst as she began to tremble in fear at the sight of the volleyball players approaching her. You put one arm before Yachi, preventing the boys coming too close to her. 

"Guys, you're scaring Ya-chan."

At the protective look on your face, the boys stopped in their tracks, afraid of what you will do to them if they were to cross the line. Kiyokp petted you on the head to calm you down as she addressed the boys about the presence of the new girl. 

"Yachi's joining the club on a trail basis as the new manager ..."

Yachi pushed your arm one side as she introduced herself despite being nervous. "I-I'm Yachi Hitoka!"

"Oh, bless the heavens. My little girl is all grown up now!" You sobbed in joyous tears at how much Yachi had grown, wiping your tears onto Tsukishima's shirt who came to stand beside you unconsciously. (if you know what i mean  ͡º ͜ʖ ͡º). 

"Can you not do that, it's disgusting and I'm not your personal handkerchief." Tsukishima wrinkled his nose in disgust as he snatched his shirt back from your grasp. 

For the next minutes, you watched as the volleyball players familiarize themselves with Yachi who was hiding behind you half of the time. You laughed as you watched the scared look on Yachi's face when Asahi asked if she was a first year. You were watching the interaction between Tanaka and Nishinoya who was hiding behind Suga when you saw the dazed look on a certain green-haired cinnamon. 

Mischievousness filled your (e/c) eyes when you realized the reason for the dazed look on Yamaguchi's face. When Yamaguchi caught you staring at him, you smirked at him as you wiggled your eyebrows, knowing what he was thinking about. You simply laughed as Yamaguchi turned his head away, his ears bright red. 

"Thank goodness. Now there'll be a manager next year too." Asahi smiled as Yachi began to fidget, a lost look on her face. 

You looked at your friend with concern as you asked, "Ya-chan, are you okay?"

Luckily for Yachi, Kiyoko stepped in as she explained that Yachi hasn't officially joined the club yet. Instead, she's here just to say hi. 

"It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Same!"

Yachi jumped in fear, hiding behind you once more as you petted her on the head reassuringly. 

"Don't worry Ya-chan, they're actually very friendly. So, don't be scared, okay?" You smiled at Yachi who returned a nervous smile in return. 

Now that with your old friend here with you in Karasuno, things just got ten times more interesting. 

The next day...

"Ya-chan, Ya-chan! Are you joining as an official manager yet?" You excitedly asked as you kept bouncing up and down, a hopeful look on your face. 

"So annoying." Tsukishima sneered as he and Yamaguchi walked by you. However, deep down, Tsukishima was happy at the fact that you looked so cheerful today. After all, you deserved all the smiles in the world. It suits your cheerful personality. 

Yachi laughed as she tried to calm you down. "Ah, gomen (nickname)-chan. I'm just here to observe today."

"Awwww!" A pout settled your lips, Yachi simply hugging you to comfort you. 

You snuggled into Yachi's warmth when suddenly you heard footsteps approaching in your direction, your brother's voice reaching your ears. "Hey, you okay?"

Immediately, Yachi hid behind you and cowered in fear. You looked at her curiously before turning to your brother with a glare on your face. A spine traveled down Keishin's spine at the unanimous aura coming off you as you scowled at him, demanding. "Nii-chan, what did you do to Ya-chan?"

Keishin began to shiver in fear as he stuttered in reply. "No-nothing. I was just wondering if she's okay since she ran off after seeing me."

"Oh." You blinked as you returned back to your normal self. 

"Um...I'm actually the coach..." Your brother went on, his attention on Yachi now. 

Yachi's eyes widen in horror before getting onto her knees, her forehead touching the floor and let out a loud "sorry". You began laughing loudly when you realized what your brother meant by the female running off when she saw him. 

"HAHAHAHA! Nii-chan, this is why I told you should have changed your looks. You looked like a gangster. No wonder Ya-chan ran off after seeing your face. Hahaha!"

"Shut up!"

***

For the rest of the week, you were busy with both volleyball and studies due to the upcoming exams. Being a member of a volleyball team was not easy as well as a student since you were constantly reaching home late and usually too tired after training to do any revision. 

However, if you were gonna to go to Tokyo and meet your friends there, you'll have to work hard not only for the team but for yourself as well. 

"Oi, munichkin. Time to go or else we'll be late." Tsukishima said as he stood up from his seat, his bag slung on his shoulder. 

To Tsukishima's surprise, you had tears in your eyes as you faced him. Feeling concerned for you, the middle blocker softly asked. "Are you okay?"

You shook your head, a whimper coming from you as you simply showed Tsukishima a piece of paper. With a raised brow, Tsukishima took the paper from you and look through it. It was a recent quiz that his class just received back today. Tsukishima looked at the paper closely, not getting what you were trying to tell him until he saw your marks. 49/100 written boldly in red. 

Tsukishima returned the paper back to you as he simply said. "Is this what you are being sad about?"

You nodded your head woefully in return, not saying anything. Tsukishima gave a sigh as he rubbed his head while you gave him a lost look. Tsukishima immediately looked away, a light blush on his face. For some reasons, the blond felt that you looked rather cute when you at look that way. 

With his face till turned away, Tsukishima said with a tense voice. "Have you not been revising?"

"I don't have the time to revise. I always reach home late after training and by then, I'm too tired to study. So, I just go straight to bed. Besides, my other subjects are doing well. It's just so happen that I'm bad at math. What should I do, string bean?" You asked with a helpless tone. 

"Are you free this Saturday?"

"Yes, why?"

"Meet me by the park near your house at 10am. Don't be late."

"Huh?"

You gave Tsukishima a confused look, not understanding what was going on. Your eyes widen further more as Tsukishima gave you somewhat of a shy look which was so not him at all. The earth must be coming to an end. 

Tsukishima cleared his throat before replying. "I will help you in math this coming Saturday at my house."

You simply blinked at the male who at this point was slowly becoming a member of the tomato family. You opened and closed your mouth, not sure how to respond. 

Yeap, the earth is definitely ending. 

An awkward silence filled the now empty classroom as Tsukishima shuffles his feet, feeling shy all of a sudden. (I'm sorry that I made Tsukki ooc. ><) He peeked over his glasses to look at your reaction when you still have yet to reply him. Let's just say the look on your face strangely gave the dinosaur lover a sense of happiness. 

However as times passes and you were still silent, Tsukishima began to return back to his tsundere mode. The blond male felt embarrassed for even offering his help and even more stupid when you didn't respond to him. Taking your silence as no, Tsukishima icily said before leaving the classroom. 

"I shall take your silence as a no. If you didn't want my help, you could have simply say 'no', instead of sitting there looking like an idiot."

You only respond when you heard the classroom door banged shut as Tsukishima left for club activity. Realizing that you were being left behind, you grabbed your stuffs and ran after the blond megane, shouting. 

"Ah, I'm so sorry, string bean! I was just surprised by your offer since you're usually not so kind. I would love to have you tutor me in maths."

"..."

"OI DON'T IGNORE ME STRING BEAN! I'M SORRY! PLEASE WAIT FOR ME! By the way, does your offer still stands?"   

Tsukishima simply kept walking as you desperately try to catch up him. Curse your short legs. However, you simply smiled when Tsukishima stopped by the staircase, waiting for you. You ran the rest of the distance as you caught up to the beanpole, both of you chatting (more like you) and made your way to the gym. 

Tsukishima might not show it often, but there was a small smile on his face as once again, he (rudely) offered to tutor you math this coming Saturday at his house. 

And when you said yes, his heart was beating faster than ever, but Tsukishima had never felt more alive than before. 

**The next chapter: The "study date" at Tsukishima's house with the two main characters. I wonder how will things turn out.** **͡º ͜ʖ ͡º**


	14. Part 2: Chapter 14

You stood outside the Tsukishima's household, not sure if you should ring the doorbell or not. It was Saturday, the day where Tsukishima promised to help you in your math for the upcoming finals. Right now, you were having a mental debate if you should ring the bell or not to notify the Tsukishimas that there is someone standing outside their house. 

'What could possibly go wrong if I ring the bell? Oh, maybe the fact that I was supposed to meet string bean at the park instead of his house. What is the worst that can happen?' You thought to yourself, pacing back and forth as you contemplate if you should ring the bell or not. 

Who knew that ringing the bell could be such a hard decision to make?

"(name)?"

You froze in mid-pace as you heard your name being called by none other than Tsukishima. You turned to face Tsukishima with a nervous smile on your face as he simply raised his brows at you, a confused look on his face. "What are you doing here? I thought we were meeting at the park. Wait, how do you even know where I stay?"

At the last sentence, Tsukishima's confusion shifted to suspicion as he narrowed his golden eyes. You straightened your body as your (e/c) eyes dart right and left, refusing to meet the blond's piercing glare. As the silence dragged on, you could feel Tsukishima's glare burning a hole into your back as he silently demanded an explanation. 

You gathered your courage as your (e/c) eyes met with Tsukishima's golden ones, searching for any signs of anger. When you found none, you sheepishly explained. "Er...I might or might not have ask Yamaguchi for your address."

Tsukishima simply sighed, used to your randomness and walked into his house, calling after you. "I'm not even going to bother asking why. Just come in already."

"Yes sir!" You cheerfully said as you followed after Tsukishima, removing your shoes before stepping into the house. 

"Pardon my intrusion."

You nervously mumbled as you unconsciously moved closer towards Tsukishima, feeling uncomfortable at a house that is not yours. Tsukishima raised his brows as you clutched onto his shirt tightly as you hid behind him, only your head peeking out from the side to take in your surrounding. The blond found your behavior strange, considering you are usually excited to meet new people or being in a new environment. 

"Kei, who is that?"

A tall male with blond hair, a few shades darker than Tsukishima's own hair entered the living room. You slowly began to emerge from behind Tsukishima, curious as to what relation does Tsukishima has with this male. Older brother? From the looks of it, this male is taller than Tsukishima and let's just say if you thought Tsukishima is tall, this guy is a giant. Sometimes being short sucks. 

The male has a small smile on his face as he introduced himself, knowing that Tsukishima wouldn't bothered to introduce him. "Hello there, my name is Tsukishima Akiteru. I'm Kei's older brother. Are you his friend?"

"It's none of your business, Akiteru-nii. Let's go munchkin." Tsukishima glowered at his older brother as he pushed you behind his back, trying to hide you from Akiteru. 

You glanced at Akiteru as his smile faltered slightly at his younger brother's harsh comment, before recovering with a smile that seemed forced this round. However, you could tell that string bean's words had hurt Akiteru, the pain and hurt reflected in his golden eyes. Rage filled you at how Tsukishima acted cold towards his older brother, but there must be a reason behind why the blond was acting this way so you weren't quick to jump to conclusion. 

You introduced yourself to Akiteru with a smile and an outstretched hand which was shook by Akiteru. "Hello there! I'm sorry for not introducing myself earlier on. My name's Ukai (name) and I'm string bean's friend even though he always deny so. Nice to meet you."

You stuck your tongue out at Tsukishima who glared at you when you called him his usual nickname in front of his family. Akiteru chuckled as he shook your hands, saying. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ukai-san."

"Please call me by my first name. Ukai is what people call my older brother and grandpa, I prefer to be called by my first name."

"Alright then, I'll leave you and Kei to be. It's nice to see that Kei has another friend other than Tadashi."

Akiteru bid you both a farewell, promising to bring up snacks and drinks later. You beamed at Akiteru who was retreating to the kitchen before turning to face Tsukishima who stood there with his arms crossed, a scowl on his face. 

"If you keep scowling like that, you're face will be stuck like that forever. Now, shall we get going?" You cheerfully said. 

Tsukishima's scowl deepen as he replied. "Tch. There's a just a fairy tale to scare children."

"Have you ever heard of sarcasm before? If not, you may want to check the dictionary." You retorted as you began to climb the stairs up to Tsukishima's room. 

Said male just glared as he followed behind you up to the second floor. You stood before three doors before approaching one that has a dinosaur with the words "keep out". You reached out to open the door, however you were stopped by Tsukishima who moved to block you. You raised your head to give Tsukishima a confused look as he glared down at you. 

"What are you doing string bean? This is your room right? I mean the dinosaur sign that says 'keep out' is so obvious that even a blind man can tell its your room." You sarcastically said.

Tsukishima narrowed his eyes at you in annoyance as he reply, "A blind man wouldn't be able to locate my room considering he can't see."

"It's just an expression, move on already string bean." You rolled your eyes as you elbowed Tsukishima's side so that he will move out the way. 

Tsukishima clutched his side as he glowered at you with his usual scowl that you were immune to it by now. You ignored the scowl sent your way as you opened the door leading to Tsukishima's room, feeling excited and curious at the same time. 

'Let's see what sort of dirty secrets does string bean hides in his room.' You grin evilly to yourself as you turned the knob and pushed the door open, entering the room.  

To your disappointment, Tsukishima's room looks like any other ordinary room minus all the dinosaurs figurines that were displayed around. You glanced around the room with curiosity shining in your (e/c) eyes. Tsukishima's room looked like your bedroom, except a whole lot neater. His bed was neatly made and his books are stacked according to alphabet on the shelf. Basically, nothing looks out of place. If it weren't for the dinosaurs figurines and plushies, the room would have lacked the feeling of warmth. 

Tsukishima leaned against the door frame, an uninterested look on his face. However deep down, Tsukishima was feeling nervous about your thoughts of his bedroom. He looked with cautious eyes as you glanced around, your face slowly lighting up with childlike expression. As times slowly passed, the megane began to calm down as you let out a squeal and rushed towards his bed, your attention focused on the triceratops plushie placed next to his pillow. 

"OMG! THIS IS LIKE THE CUTEST THING EVER!"

You plucked the dinosaur off from the bed and hugged to your chest, a childlike joy on your face. Tsukishima let out a soft smile at the sight of you squealing cutely, butterflies fluttering in his stomach. Tsukishima watched as you continued to explore his room with curiosity and wonder, acting like a 5-year-old. 

Not that the blond mind if he get to observe your soft and girly side since you usually act all tough and tomboyish. 

Tsukishima's heart flutters lightly when you grabbed another dinosaur plushie and showed it to him eagerly, a bright smile on your face. 

Yeap, Tsukishima can get use to this side of you more often. 

***

"So, all I have to do is to carry 2 to the other side? Or am I getting this wrong?" You glanced at Tsukishima with a lost look on your face, not understanding the math behind it. 

Tsukishima gave you a desperate look as he replied. "No, you're suppose to carry 3 to the other side, not 2. I have explain how to do this equation to you like five times and you still can't get it? This was being taught in middle school for goodness sake!"

"Ah, I give up! This is so complicated. I hate math!" You gave a frustrated shout and pushed your book on to the floor, a pout settling on your face.

For the past 15 minutes, Tsukishima has been trying to explain how to solve this one particular equation that you simply could not understand no matter how hard you try. At this point, you are ready to burn your math notebook and scattered the ashes into the wind where you hopefully wouldn't see it anymore. 

"You're hopeless." Tsukishima gave up as he leaned his head back to rest on his bed, an arm covering his eyes. 

"Come on, string bean. You can't give up on me now or else I wouldn't be able to go to Tokyo. Then, I wouldn't be able to see Kuroo-nii and the rest of Nekoma!" You let out a desperate whine as you crawled next to the blond, tugging on his shirt. 

If Tsukishima who is a math genius gives up on teaching you math, it means that you are just that bad at math. (A/N: this is me in real life, can anyone relate? ><)

Tsukishima lift up his arm and glanced down at you with a blank look, saying "no" before covering his face once more. However after a moment of silence, Tsukishima became curious as to why you were so quiet of all a sudden. So, he lifted his head and were met with you playing with his dinosaur figurines. 

A fond look settle on his face as he spend the next few minutes observing you playing with his dinosaurs, completely lost in your own world. Usually if anyone were to touch his dinosaurs without his permission, Tsukishima would have flipped out. But with you, you just looked adorable and downright happy that even if Tsukishima was to be angry at you for touching his dinosaurs without his permission, he knew that he can't stay mad at you forever. 

A comfortable silence settled between the two teenagers until a knock could be heard on the door. Youstopped playing with the dinosaurs and turned your head towards the door which was being open by Tsukishima. You face lit up into a smile when you were met with the sight of Akiteru carrying a tray of delicious looking snacks. 

"Hey, I thought you two might be hungry after studying for two hours. So, I brought some snacks up. I hope I'm not interrupting your study session." Akiteru sheepishly smiled, ignoring the slight glare his younger brother was sending towards him. 

You immediately scrambled to your feet as you rushed towards the table where Akiteru placed the tray of food down, exclaiming. "Oh my gosh, I love you Akiteru-san. You're like the best thing to exist ever! I'm starving!"

Tsukishima frowned at what you said towards his older brother as he watched the interaction between his friend and his brother, bitterness filling him. Akiteru laughed as you tried to stuff as many grapes as you can into your mouth, looking like a chipmunk. A light blush settled on your face when the older Tsukishima patted you on the head with a fond smile. 

The sight of you blushing caused by his older brother's action stirred some unwanted feelings in Tsukishima. This time round he acknowledges those feelings rather than denying them, knowing that it is better to face them then running away. However, he was still not happy at the interaction between you and Akiteru. 

Needless to say, Tsukishima was jealous at the fact that someone else other than him can make you smile until like that. 

Tsukishima cleared his throat, saying in a monotone voice. "Thanks for the snacks nii-san. But, if you don't mind, munchkin and I need to get back to studying." 

Akiteru's golden eyes widen in surprise before fixing Tsukishima with a knowing look, his eyes lit with amusement. The megane ignored the look his brother was giving him as you began to whine about not wanting to do math anymore. 

"Do you want to see your Nekoma friends or not?" Tsukishima fixed you a deadpanned look. 

You gasped in horror when you were reminded about the doom waiting for you if you were to fail your math exam. Tsukishima smirks as he watched you sat down and picked up your notebook from the floor, waving it around like a manic. 

"String bean, what are you still waiting for? I have a paper to pass!"

Tsukishima let out a chuckle as he approached you and sat next down to you, continuing from where you both stopped. Akiteru smiled gently to himself as he looked at the sight of his brother and the girl next to him. His smile widens more when he saw the fond smile on Tsukishima's face when you finally got the question right. 

His younger brother might not realize the feelings stirring within him that was caused by Ukai (name) or Akiteru could be wrong based on the jealous look that Kei was sending him earlier on. 

But for now, Akiteru was just glad that Kei met a friend like you. 

***

"KUROO-NII!"

You screamed as you make a dash for Kuroo who has his arms wide open, his signature smirk already showing on his face. You threw yourself at Kuroo, your arms going around his neck as his went around your waist to support you. Your laughter reached the sky as Kuroo spun you around, a habit that you both had since from young. 

"I miss you so so much, Kuroo-nii." You murmured, burying your face into Kuroo's neck. 

"I miss you too, Kitten."

You smiled at the nickname that Kuroo called you as you two continued to embrace one another, taking in each others' warmth. Both you and Kuroo were still in your worlds when suddenly someone cleared their voice, startling the two teenagers. Your head turned towards the voice where you were met with an irritated Tsukishima, his arms full of your stuffs. 

"Next time round you go throwing yourself into someone's arms, you might wanna think twice before dumping your belongings at someone. I'm not your butler!" Tsukishima snapped as he dumped your belongings (gently) on to the floor before walking away. 

You and Kuroo stared at Tsukishima's retreating back, still processing what just happened. You tilt your head to the side in confusion, saying. "What died and crawled up string bean's butt? He seemed more salty than ever."

Kuroo smirked to himself as he observed Yamaguchi asking if Tsukishima was okay or not, only to have the tall blond ignoring him as Tsukishima continue to give Kuroo a hostile look. Well, this year training camp might just be a bit tad more interesting. 

You looked at Kuroo, wondering what he was staring at. "Ne Kuroo-nii, what are you looking at?"

Kuroo turned his attention to you and gave you a not-so-innocent look, answering you. "Nothing. By the way, aren't we missing some people?"

You gave Kuroo a nervous smile as you hesitantly reply. "Actually..."

_"This is how awesome..." Nishinoya exclaimed as he displayed his exam paper, the number '45' standing out._

_"...your senpais are!" Tanaka finished as he does the same thing as Nishinoya._

_You gave your seniors an unimpressive look as they spun around like idiots before ending in a ridiculous pose with smug looks on their faces, Suga's expression mirroring after you_.  _"You both barely got over 40 points, so don't act so smug."_

_You nodded your head in agreement as the idiot duo faltered, being reminded of the fact that they were close to failing which means they wouldn't have been able to attend the away games in Tokyo._

_You ignored your seniors as you turned to both Kageyama and Hinata, their heads hanging down as an aura of despondent surrounded them. Being the kind friend that you were, you patted their heads as you tried to comfort them knowing that you would have been in the same shoes as them, if not for Tsukishima._

_You really have to thank Tsukishima for helping you in your math or else you would have failed that subject and not able to attend the away games in Tokyo. You were glad that all the hard work you put in had paid off when you received back your result, the number '65' in red staring back at you._

_"What? Hinata, you failed English?! But you were so confident." Suga asked in surprised, glancing at Hinata's English paper that was in Tsukishima's hands._

_"Apparently, he figured out right before time was up that he'd filled in all his answers off by one." Tsukishima explained._

_"Seriously? Sadly, the English teacher. Ono-sensei, won't let things like that slide." Asahi said, sympathy filling his voice._

_"Yeah, Yachi-san was really shocked." Yamaguchi piped in as well._

_You winced at your friends' words as you try to comfort the ball of sunshine that is anything but bright now. "There, there."_

_Meanwhile, Daichi was looking through Kageyama's literature paper with furrowed eyebrows. "And Kageyama failed modern lit."_

_"Apparently, there was a lot of reading comprehension questions this time around. But he'd concentrated on memorization when he studied." Ennoshita add on, his face showing sympathy for the blueberry._

_At this point, you were crying crocodile tears for your friend as you pulled your precious blueberry into your chest, cradling Kageyama's head like a newborn child. "Don't cry, my precious baby. Come, mummy will comfort you."_

_Tsukishima looked at you in disgust, wondering why was he friend with such a weirdo like you._

_Thus Hinata and Kageyama were left behind in Miyagi as the rest of the Karasuno team headed for Tokyo._

"So the power duo's taking some supplementary exams right now?" Kuroo asked, glancing up at you as he carried you on his shoulders, walking into the school. 

"Yes, and here I was looking forward to having fun at camp with them." You pouted as you looked down at Kuroo who gave you a sympathetic smile. 

"Ahhhh! Th...th...there're two girls now! Now they've got a pretty one and cute one!" 

Both you and Kuroo shift your attention towards the direction of the voice, only to be met with Yamamoto down on his knees, an agonized look on his face. 

You watched with amusement, knowing where this was going when Tanaka stepped in and said. "Do you see, Tora? This is what Karasuno's true ability looks like."

You and Kuroo let out a laugh while Tsukishima who appeared next to you two a while go gave an amused look. You were still laughing when suddenly Tsukishima speak up, a smirk on his face. "Looks like Yamamoto-san and Tanaka-san forgot that Karasuno actually had three girls instead of two."

At that comment, you stopped laughing as Tsukishima's words sink in. Kuroo, Tsukishima, Tanaka and Yamamoto glanced at you, a blank on your face. 

"Kuroo-nii, please let me down." You said, your hair hiding your (e/c) eyes. 

Kuroo immediately let you down with a smirk as you stalked towards Tanaka and Yamamoto, your head hanging down. The bald duo slowly back away as you approached them before stopping before them. However the moment you lifted your head, Tanaka and Yamamoto run for the hills. 

Your (e/c) eyes were silted like a crow, the look of a predator. 

"I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT YOU TWO FORGOT ABOUT ME. ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY THAT I'M A BOY BECAUSE I'M UGLY LOOKING? GET BACK HERE!"

Tsukishima and Kuroo let out rambunctious laughter as yo chased after the bald duo, your hands raised in the air as you threatened to tear their bodies apart and feed it to the crows. 

"AHHHH! WE'RE SORRY (NICKNAME)-CHAN!"

***

You entered the gym with the Karasuno team as Kuroo explained to Daichi what's the agenda for today. You were helping Yachi and Kiyoko to set up the team's water bottle and towels when suddenly you hear a very familiar owl's loud voice shouting across the gym for you. 

"HEY! HEY! HEY! AKAASHI-SAN, LOOK IT'S (NICKNAME)-CHAN!" 

Everyone's heads turned towards the direction of Fukurodani team where their captain was standing there with his hands on his hips, his sliver and black hair standing up proudly. Honestly, Bokuto reminds you of the great-horned owl with that ridiculous hair of his. 

"Bokuto-san, shut up."

Your (e/c) eyes lit up when you saw Akaashi standing next to Bokuto, his face remaining impassive as ever. Without giving a second thought, you dropped whatever you were doing as you ran across the gym towards where Fukurondani is. 

Bokuto opened his arms up, ready to receive you with a huge smile on his face. Only to be met with disappointment as you ran past the third year and collide straight into Akaashi who was not prepared at all, causing you two to fall onto the floor. 

"Akaashi-kun, it's great to see you again! How have you been?" You beamed at Akaashi, your body straddling him. (don't worry kids, it's not what you think!)

Akaashi gave you a soft smile as he patted you on the head, you leaning into the touch. "Hey there, (nickname)-chan."

"I was the one who greeted you first and yet you completely ignored me." 

You and Akaashi turned to face Bokuto who has glancing down at you two, a pout on his face. You and Akaashi looked at each other before nodding and knowing what you have to do without saying anything. 

You jumped onto your feet and wrapped your arms around Bokuto, squeezing him as tightly as you can. "Sorry for ignoring you Bokuto. I miss you as well."

For once, Bokuto stopped being his loud and energetic self as he pat you on the head, a fond smile on his face. "I miss you too. It's been so long since we last seen each other."

After that, you spend a few minutes catching up the rest of the Fukurodani team before making your way back to Karasuno's side of the gym. Kiyoko smiled and Yachi waved enthusiastically as you approached them.

"I'm so sorry for abandoning you guys half way just now. It's just that I haven't seen them in a long time." You sheepishly explained.

Kiyoko gave you a gentle smile in return, saying. "It's alright. But you seemed to know a lot of volleyball players (nickname)-chan."

You just smiled and gave a shrug, saying. "Well, it's one of the perks of being a volleyball player yourself."

With that, you face the court as the whistle blew, indicating the start of the first matches of the day. You gave your friends a thumbs up as they all grinned at you in return. It will be perfect if only Hinata and Kageyama are here. For now, you can only hope that Tanaka's savior will get them here safely. 

***

The whistle blew as the match came to end, Karasuno loosing to Fukurodani. To be honest you weren't that surprise that Karasuno lost considering they were going up against a powerhouse. You stood up and placed your notebook down on the chair before heading towards the side of the court where your friends were preparing to do their punishment - diving drills. 

"Hey guys!" You greeted the team who glanced at you in confusion. 

"What are you doing here (name)? Shouldn't you be with Ukai-kun and the rest?" Daichi asked. 

You placed your hands on your hips as you grinned at them. "I know. I'm here to join you guys in doing diving skills."

When Suga opened his mouth to protest, you went on. "Don't even try to stop me, Suga-chan. Now, what are we waiting for? Let's do it!"

"If we only have your enthusiasm when it comes to doing punishment." Daichi said dryly as he got into position.

"That's the spirit!" You cheered before diving down and pushing your arms behind as your stomach glide across the floor. 

After that you returned back to the bench where your brother was grinning up at you.

"What?" You asked as you sat down next to him. 

"Everyone's talking about you." Keishin simply replied. 

Sure enough, you could hear people pointing and whispering at you as you glanced around the gym. 

"Did you see that girl? She did a perfect dive!"

"Isn't she one of the Karasuno's managers?"

"She's cute though."

You sighed, used to the attention by now as you turned to face the crowd and answered all their unanswered questions. "I'm the assistant coach for Karasuno and I used to play volleyball myself, but not anymore. Thanks for the compliment though." 

At that, you winked at the boy who made that comment about you and breaking a fuse in him as he stood there with a red face, not responding to his teammates. You chuckled as you sat back down on the bench, Keishin shaking his head at your behavior. 

"One of these days I'll have to bring out grandpa's shotgun if you're gonna keep attracting boys like this." You rolled your eyes as your brother muttered under his breath. 

"Please, you can't even hurt a fly. What makes you think you can scare the boys away? Leave that job to ji-san."

"Yea yea, continue to hurt my ego like usually do."

"That's my job as your sister." You winked at your brother who just rolled his eyes at you. 

"Anyway, will you be joining them for training since I saw you packing your guards?" Keishin questioned. 

"I will, but I will only join in when Kageyama and Hinata are here. After all, what else is more amazing when Karasuno's power duo and a girl who is a national libero playing volleyball together?" You replied with a smirk. 

Your brother simply shook his head and said. "What am I gonna do with you?"

"You know you love me."

"..."

"..."

"Whatever."

Smack!

"Ahhh! Ukai-san, are you okay?"

"(nickname)-chan, you can really pack a punch."

"Thank you."

***

"Hey, they are still at it. We totally made it. Not bad at all."

All heads turned to the door where Saeko, Tanaka's older sister was standing. 

Tanaka panted, feeling out of breath but nonetheless he was happy to see his sister. "Glad they made it in one piece."

"So the stars are showing up fashionably late? How annoying." 

You chuckled as you and Kuroo exchanged a knowing look. You smirked as everyone in the gym turned to the entrance in curiosity, wondering what the fuss was all about. Standing at the entrance, proud and tall was none other than Kageyama and Hinata.

Keishin looked to you with a smirk of his own and gave you a nod. You grinned back as you turned to face the duo of Karasuno, all three of you exchanging a nod. After all, the only reason you didn't join in the training was because you made a promise with your friends. 

It's time to show what Karasuno is made of and you can't wait for the looks on everyone's faces.


	15. Part 2: Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there!
> 
> Sorry I wasn't able to update Hatsukoi last week as I was on vacation and didn't had my laptop with me. Even if I do, I don't think I can upload as the wifi really sucks. This is the new chapter that I'm sure many of you have been waiting for, so I'll stop talking and let you get to reading. Ja ne!
> 
> Love,  
> Rainbend

"Hey, what was that?"

"So fast!"

"I've never seen a quick attack like that."

You grinned to yourself when you heard those comments about the freak duo. The surprise and frustrated looks whenever people see Hinata and Kageyama play volleyball for the first time never fails to amuse you everytime. 

"(name)-chan, watch out!"

You shift your attention to the ball that was heading your way quickly and less than a split second, you received the ball and directed it towards where Kageyama was standing. The whistle blew as Hinata spiked the ball tossed by Kageyama after receiving the ball from you, ending the game. 

"Good job guys!" You cheered as you gave both Hinata and Kageyama a high five. 

"Holy shit, did you see that (h/c)-haired who received the ball at lightning speed?!"

"Yea! She even managed to return the ball towards where the setter is despite being at the back of the court."

"Who exactly is she?"

"Great job on receiving that impossible ball, as expected of Russia's ex female Youth World libero." Your brother smirk at you as he passed you a towel to wipe off your sweat, answering all the comments about you indirectly. 

"Oh shut it, nii-chan. You're making me blush." You grinned as you accepted the towel, wiping your face. 

"What?! She's a Youth World libero from Russia?!"

"No wonder that explains everything."

"I wonder if she knows Lev from Nekoma?"

Your ears perked up when someone mentioned "Lev" and "Nekoma". You turned your head towards where Nekoma was having their ongoing match, your (e/c) eyes trying to locate for someone who might looked like a "Lev" to you. However, you gave up after a while, not able to place a face to that name. 

But you swore that you heard that name from somewhere before. 

"Huh? Inuoka's on the sideline?" 

You approached Hinata who had a surprise look on his face when he noticed his Nekoma friend standing on the sideline instead on court. You too gave a confused look, not understanding why Inuoka was standing on the sideline despite being on court going against Karasuno during the Golden week. After all, it is not everyday that a player can stop Hinata's crazy spike within a short amount of time. 

"Go, Lev!" Inouka shouted as he cheered one of his teammates on. 

Your brows furrowed in frustration when you heard that name again, still trying to remember where have you heard that name from. You shift your attention to the ongoing match, hoping you might be able to finally figure out who this "Lev" is. 

Well, it looked like you don't have to figure out that long after all. Your (e/c) eyes widen at the sight of a tall grey-haired male, his vest spotting the number 11 as he swing his arm like a whip. The whistle blew as Nekoma won the match against Ubugawa High. You stood there as a memory from your time in Russia surfaced.

_You sat on the swing as you watched the kids play on the playground, their laughter filling the air. It had already been a month since you moved to Russia and started school, yet you still were lonely as none of the kids wanted to play with you. According to them, you were an alien just because you were Japanese and not Russian._

_Your hair covered your face as a tear dropped onto your legs. You quickly wiped it away, not wanting others to see you cry. You missed all your friends who were back in Japan, at least there you will be happy._

_" **Hello! You must be the new girl!** " ( the words in bold means that they are speaking in Japanese.)_

_Your head lifted when you heard a voice speaking in Japanese coming from in front of you. A tall boy with grey-haired was beaming at you, his slanted green eyes reminding you of a cat._

_" **You can speak Japanese**?" You asked softly, your face in awe. _

_The boy nodded his head enthusiastically, replying you. " **Yeap, I'm half Japanese and half Russian. By the way, my name is Lev Haiba!** "_

_" **Hello, my name is Ukai (name). I'm full Japanese.** " You introduced yourself, a small on your face. _

_" **I know, you're the new girl! Wanna come and play with me?** " Lev asked, excitement shining in his eyes. _

_" **Sure!** " You answered, your voice mirroring Lev's excitement. _

_And that was how Lev became your first friend in Russia, until he moved away to Japan half way through middle school. Ever since then, you have not seen nor heard from him._

"Lev!" You shouted the first year's name as all heads turned towards you. 

Lev's eyes widen in confusion at the sight of you running towards him, your arms waving as your (e/c) eyes reflected your excitement. For some reason, you looked rather familiar to him. He just can't remember from where.

"Do I know you?" Lev asked. 

You rolled your eyes at Lev as you replied him. "I can't believe you forgot about me that easily. I'm (name), the lonely ass girl on the swing back in Russia?"

Lev's eyes widen in recognition as he swept you off the floor and brought you into a hug, your feet dangling as your face was smashed into his chest. "(name)! I missed you! How have you been?"

You patted Lev's arm awkwardly as your muffled voice answered back. "I'm good Lev. Now, can you please let go off me? I can't breathe."

Lev put you down and ruffled your hair, beaming. "It's nice to see you again, _l'venok_ (1). _"_

You smacked Lev's hand away as you try to smooth down your hair, your voice playful. "You're gonna mess up my hair Lev."

"Kitten, you met Lev before?" Kuroo asked, surprise could be heard in his voice. 

You and Lev looked at one another with sly smirks on both your faces, a silent message being passed between you two. The rest of the volleyball players looked at the two first years with wary looks, not trusting what they were about to do. Both you and Lev were used to people directing wary looks at you two considering this happened quite often back in Russia. After all, you two were able to communicate with one another without having to say anything and it can be quite useful at times. However, it always lead to trouble on one too many occasions. 

Lev wrapped an arm around your waist, pulling you flush against to his side as you placed an arm on his chest. With a shy smile on your face, you softly said. "Lev and I met during my study abroad in Russia...."

Tsukishima's eyes widen as you trailed off, a huge blush on your face from being embarrassed at the amount of eyes staring at you. His gaze was fixed onto you as you turned your body and buried your face into Nekoma spiker's chest. Tsukishima's heart was screaming at him to do something, anything but all he could do was stand there in shock upon hearing Lev's words. 

"(name) and I are dating ever since then." Lev finished your sentence as he leaned down to kiss your forehead, a fond smile on his face. 

...

Nothing could be heard as all volleyball players were stunned into silence at Lev's words. It was so quiet that you could hear a pin dropped. You raised your head as you took in everyone's blank looks, counting down to 3 in your head. 

'1...2...3'

"WHAT?!"

"LEV HAS A GIRLFRIEND?!"

"SINCE WHEN ON EARTH WERE YOU IN A RELATIONSHIP AND WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?!"

You covered your mouth at your brother's outburst, your laughter being muffled. Takeda grabbing onto the back of Keishin's shirt, his heels digging into the floor as he tried to hold back your brother from murdering the tall Nekoma player. There was chaos everywhere as you and Lev tried to hold in your laughter, or else everyone will discover that you two were just being up to your mischievous selves as usual. 

You shift your (e/c) eyes unto a certain blond megane, wondering what his reaction will be like. You grinned as you thought about the surprise look that awaits you. You bet that Tsukishima will be so shocked that he will be speechless. However, your grin faltered when you saw the look on the middle blocker's face. 

Despite his face displaying surprise, you noticed that his golden eyes speak more volumes due to the number of emotions flashing through them. You could see that instead of the usual sardonic look, his eyes was displaying emotions like hurt, shock, betrayed. However, what caught you off guard was the look of what looked like heart brokenness. You weren't too sure. 

Everything else became white noise when you and Tsukishima caught each others' eyes. When Tsukishima noticed that you were staring at him with a frown, his eyes became devoid of emotions and you could tell that those walls he had build over the years were coming up again. Your frown only deepened when Tsukishima turned his face to the floor, his face hidden from you.

You could tell that Tsukishima was upset, probably at you considering how tense his jaws looked while his hands were clenched into fists. You walked away from Lev who had released you by then as your friends and his teammates bombarded him with questions. You approached Tsukishima cautiously, less you set him off and that's the last thing you need. 

"Oi, string bean! Are you okay?" You asked carefully. 

Tsukishima remained silence for a while before answering you, his tone monotonous. "I'm fine."

With that, he headed towards where his stuffs were and left the gym to wash up. The entire time, Tsukishima's back was facing you which left you confused and disappointed for some reason. 

Your (e/c) eyes widen when you felt a sudden ache coming from your chest. You looked down at your chest where your heart was located, your hand rubbing it when you felt the sudden ache just now. You lifted your head again as your eyes focused on where Tsukishima was standing earlier on. 

For some unexplained reasons, you felt like crying when Tsukishima left you and that scared you. 

These unknown new feelings towards string bean only left you confused and scared as you tried to figure out what they meant. But one thing for sure is that, you are starting to regret ever pulling that trick with Lev. 

***

It was the second day of the Tokyo away games and things had only gotten tense between you and Tsukishima. The first match of the day was going to start and Karasuno was facing against Nekoma. You stood next to Yachi as Keishin gave a speech to the boys, feeling nervous as to whether you should speak to Tsukishima or not in order to clear up yesterday's misunderstanding. 

After Tsukishima left the gym yesterday, both you and Lev told everyone the truth - that the both of you weren't dating and were just good friends with one another. Despite receiving a lot of scolding and shouting from both your teammates, you could tell that they didn't mean it. Now, the only person left to clear things with is Tsukishima. 

That is only if the first year would stopped avoiding you. 

However, you didn't had the chance to talk with string bean when the whistle blew, indicating that the match had started. You gave a sigh as you focused on the match before you. Your eyes focused on Tsukishima who was serving when suddenly the ball hit the net, earning Nekoma a home run point. 

You winced at the dark look on Tsukishima's face as Daichi shouted a "Don't mind". As the game progress on, you could tell that yesterday event had affected Tsukishima badly. He wasn't as focused as usual, constantly failing to block the opponents. The same could be say for his receives as well. Tsukishima already suck at receive when he is functioning normally, you can imagine how bad it is now that Tsukishima is not his usual self. 

If only you had chose to be mischievous at another time, Tsukishima wouldn't have been these unfocused and tensed. 

Realizing that there was nothing you could do about the situation, you decided to focus on the match happening before you. Hinata's shoes squeaked loudly as he jumped up, spiking the ball that Kageyama confidently tossed to him. You grinned, ready to cheer for Karasuno who earned another point thanks to the freak duo's usual play. 

However, when Lev who was able to read through the duo clearly, jumped right before Hinata and blocked his usual quick with his large hands caused your grin to falter. Nishinoya dived to the floors, stretching out his hand to save the ball, but failing to do so. 

"Alright!" The city boys cheered, excited fists reaching for the sky as their team earned another point. 

You watched with awe and disbelief at the fact that Lev managed to stop Hinata's insane spike, on the first try which made it even more amazing. You glanced towards Hinata with worry, wondering if he'll be alright. Only to be surprised when you noticed that the orange-haired male was smiling with motivation and determination relfecting in his brown eyes. Instead of feeling relief, you somehow felt concerned for Hinata. 

You chose to suppress the pulsating concern and focus your attention back to the match. As the game progresses, you could feel the concern turning into a bad feeling at the fact that something might go wrong. Your gut feeling was right as your (e/c) eyes widen in shock and a gasp escaped from your lips when Asahi wasn't the only one jumping up for the spike. 

Hinata had jumped right behind him, his arms stretched back into a similar pose, completely unaware of what he was doing. Both you and the ace of Karasuno's faces turned grimed at Hinata's expression, fearing for the worst. 

They were unable to turn away from each other as they collided in mid-air and fell back to the ground, Asahi landing on his feet while Hinata dropped onto his back. 

"Uwah! A-are you okay?!" The gentle giant exclaimed, his face turning blue. 

Hinata got onto his knees and bowed his head down aggressively, apologizing profusely to the third year. "I'm sorry! I was just staring at the ball...I'm sorry! Are you okay? I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"I'm perfectly fine..." Asahi tried to calm down the panicking middle blocker. 

"Pay close attention to the things around you, dumbass!! Why do you think you call stuff out all the time, dammit!" Your brother scolded with veins popping all over his face, causing the ball of sunshine to lower his head in shame and guilt. 

As Hinata was continued being scolded by the blueberry setter, you bit your lips in contemplation and concern for the ginger, thinking. 'Hinata...was about to steal away the toss that was sent to the ace....'

Despite the laughing faces and cheerfulness, you could tell the team felt a little threatened by Hinata's subconscious action. As the game progresses on, everyone had calmed down a little but there was still a slight tension in the air. It only became worse when suddenly out of nowhere, Hinata announced to Kageyama that he's gonna start spiking with his eyes opened. 

Your brows furrowed in concern as Kageyama dismissed the issue to after the match had ended, leaving Hinata standing there deep in thought. The whistle blew once more and the game continued from where it left off, as though nothing had actually happened. However, it was clear that Hinata's words had impacted on each and every Karasuno players. 

***

"Kitten, please let go of me. Your bus is ready to leave." Kuroo chuckled as he tried to pried your arms off from his waist. 

"NO! I DON'T WANNA LEAVE YOU KUROO-NII! I JUST GOT HERE ONLY!" You wailed as you continued to have a vice-like grip on the cat captain, refusing to let him go. 

"Come on (name)-chan, let go. You'll be able to see Kuroo-san again in 2 weeks time when we come back for the week-long camp." Suga gently reminded you as he pulled on your legs, trying to get you to release Kuroo. 

Everyone watched in amusement as Karasuno's vice-captain and Nekoma's captain played tug-of-war with you who was still refusing to let Kuroo go. Your body became tense as you felt waves of anger coming from behind you. Without having to turn around to know who it was, you immediately let go of Kuroo as your face planted into the ground. 

You scrambled to your feet and hid behind Suga, hoping that the "wife" could calm the husband down. "Now, now Daichi. Please calm down now that (name)-chan has release Kuroo-san."

Immediately, Daichi's anger dissipated as you emerged from behind Suga and tried to escape from your captain. "Don't think you can escape from me!"

The hair on your neck stood as you rigidly turned to face Daichi. With an innocent look on your face, you said. "I didn't do anything."

This time round when Daichi glared at you, you run straight for the hills, not looking back. 

You pressed your face to bus window as you waved goodbye to the Tokyo volleyball players who waved in return until they were out of sight. Once the bus hit the main road, you gave a sigh as you sat back down properly in your seat. You can't wait to return back soon, wishing that the two weeks will just pass in a blink of an eye.

"Can you please stop kicking me in the legs?" A familiar annoyed voice reached your ears. 

You body turned to the right side and was surprised to see that Tsukishima sitting next to you. You opened and closed your mouth like a gaping fish, your vocal failing you. Tsukishima rolled his eyes and placed a hand under your chin, closing your mouth. "Stop that. You looked like a fish out of water."

You crossed your arms across your chest, your back slouching against the seat and muttered with a pout on your face. "Well, I wasn't expecting you to sit next to me after what happened yesterday."

"I decided it was foolish at the way how I react. After all, whoever you date doesn't matter to me." Tsukishima sneered at you, before placing his headphones on his head, a sign that the megane doesn't want to be bothered.

You frowned at Tsukishima's words, disappointment filling you for some unknown reasons. You glanced up at Tsukishima's face, only to be met with closed eyes. You gave a sigh as you looked outside the window, the scenery a blur of colors staring back at you. Tsukishima opened his eyes as he stared at the (h/c)-haired female sitting next to him. Despite not being able to see your face, the first year could tell that you were upset. 

Tsukishima gave a sigh as he try to think of ways to cheer you up. A few months ago, the tall male would have left you alone instead of trying to comfort you. But the moment he chose to sit next you of all people made it obvious that the blond cared about you even though he doesn't always show it. Tsukishima would be lying to himself if he wasn't unfazed by what Lev and you said yesterday. 

Instead, Tsukishima felt something snapped within him when you told everyone that you were dating the Russian lion. He had felt anger, sadness, jealousy and something that felt like heart break which scared Tsukishima a lot. The middle blocker didn't want to read into all these emotions, knowing that if he did, it would just confirmed his worst fear. 

"Just so you know, I'm not dating Lev. We were just playing around with everyone. I'm sorry."

Tsukishima's face soften when he heard your words. You let out a squeal when you felt your entire body squashed against Tsukishima's side. You felt your face turning hot at the contact as you try to lift your head to see Tsukishima's face, only for the blond to hold you in place. 

"I know, you don't have to tell me that. Suga-san cleared that with me yesterday." Tsukishima replied and you could practically hear the smugness in his voice. 

You glared at Tsukishima's chest since you couldn't see him, saying. "Then why didn't you say so earlier?! I really thought that you were mad at me!"

"I was mad at you at first, but after Suga-san revealed the truth to me, I continued to ignore you as revenge."

"Why you! That's so childish of you!"

"It's not childish if I wanna see you suffer."

"You sadist asshole!"

Tsukishima laughed as you hit him on the chest, trying to inflict pain on him. Soon enough, you began laughing as well, Tsukishima's laughter was very contagious. 

"Will you two shut up? Some of us are trying to sleep!" Daichi glared at the you two from the opposite seat. 

"Sorry, Daichi." You apologized with a sheepish look on your face. 

You yawned as the tiredness from all those late night sleep during the away game caught up to you.

"Here. Lean your body against me and sleep." Tsukishima gently guided your body to lay against his side, his left arm reaching round you and resting on your waist. 

You snuggled deeper into Tsukishima's side and closed your eyes, a smile on your face. "Thank you, Tsukishima."

Tsukishima smiled softly at the sight of you as he replied. "No problem and call me Kei."

You opened your eyes when you heard Tsukishima's words, surprised that he would want you to call him by his first name. After all, Japanese people only call each other by their first names if they are close with one another or are in a relationship. However when you saw the sincerity in Tsukishima's golden eyes, you knew that he saw you as a close friend of his other than Yamaguchi. 

With a smile on your face, you said. "Okay, Kei-kun!"

Tsukishima opened his mouth to tell you that you didn't had to add the suffix to his name when he realized that you had already fallen asleep. The middle blocker's could feel his heart pounding at the serene look on your face. Long lashes kissed your cheeks as your (hair length), (h/c) hair pooled around you like calm waters, a small smile on your face as you slept soundly next to him. You looked like an angel to Tsukishima when the evening sun shine its ray through the bus window and unto you. 

A stray piece of hair fell into your face and Tsukishima swept it out of the way, tugging it behind your ear. Thoughts of his interaction filled Tsukishima's mind as he continued staring at you with a fond look in his golden eyes.

_"What did you just call me? I have a name ya know."_

_"I'LL FREAKING RIP YOUR HEAD OFF IF YOU KEEP BEING SO GODDAMM LAZY, YOU SHITTY FOUR-EYED!"_

_"TSUKISHIMA TEME! THAT REALLY HURT!"_

Tsukishima chuckled softly to himself at those times when he'll annoyed you and you try to beat the shit out of him due to anger. However, Tsukishima knew that you didn't meant it. After all, it's not in your nature to hold grudges against people. You are always ready to forgive anyone for their wrongdoings and he respect that about you. 

There's also the part of you where nothing can bring your fighting spirit down that he had always secretly admired. 

_"Stop calling me that string bean. And I'll have you know that despite my height, I can jump quite high."  
_

_"I will prove you wrong, you overgrown size megane!"_

Despite Tsukishima always hurting you, you never gave up on him and left him. Instead, you continued to stay by his side no matter what. For that, Tsukishima is very thankful when he knows that he isn't exactly the most pleasant person to be around. 

_"This is not how you talk to my friend!"_

Tsukishima also remembered the day where you stood up for him and his teammates during their encounter with the basketball team. Your love for your friends is one of the many reasons why Tsukishima had fallen for you. 

Tsukishima's golden eyes widen in surprised when that thought entered his mind. He thought that he would be afraid of falling for you, instead it filled him with a sense of contentment and joy. Tsukishima's attention shift back to you when he felt you turned into a side position. 

"String bean, you need to put in more effort into your blocking." You muttered, still fast asleep. 

Tsukishima's eyes soften once more as he looked at you, this time round with affection shining in his golden eyes. The day you entered his life like an uncontrolled force was the day Tsukishima's life was turned upside down, never to be the same again. And he wouldn't trade it for anything else in the world. 

Tsukishima kissed you on the forehead as he pulled you closer to his side, his head leaning against yours. The first year fell asleep to the sound of your breathing, one thought passing through his mind. 

_Falling in love with you is the last thing that I expected, Munchkin. I'm still slightly afraid to admit it completely, but I'm glad that you are my first love of all people._

Bonus:

Snap!

"Awww! Don't they look so cute leaning against one another while sleeping, Daichi?"

"Yes, Suga. Now, stop taking pictures. It's not nice."

"But I have to capture the moment! My baby crows have all grown up!" (Sugamama being proud of her baby crows.)

"Haiz."

***

(1): "l'venok" means "lion cub" in Russian, according to google translate.


	16. Part 2: Chapter 16

"Where are we going, Coach?" Hinata turned to look at Keishin with a curious look on his face. 

"You'll see when we get there," Keishin replied, not taking his eyes off the road as he drove the car, taking the orange-haired male and his younger sister somewhere. 

Meanwhile, you were in the back seat and was literally trembling in excitement. You heard from your brother that a close relative of yours is finally coming back after being admitted to the hospital and you couldn't wait to see him again.

You can't wait to meet your grandfather, Ukai Ikkei, the infamous 'Karasuno's Ukai'.

Hinata turned around to face the back seat, his head tilted to the side in confusion at the sight of you trembling in your seat. Oddly, you reminded Hinata of an excited puppy when the smile on your face threatened to split your face in half. The middle blocker turned his attention back to the front, asking Keishin. "Is (nickname)-chan? She's shaking in her seat."

Keishin's eyes lifted up to the front mirror, your reflection staring back at him. He smiled softly when you give him a cheery wave when you noticed that he was looking at you through the front mirror. 

"Yeap, (nickname)-chan's fine. She's just excited. After all, an annoying relative is coming home." Keishin replied mysteriously, a smirk on his face as he focused back on the road. 

Hinata tilted his head in confusion, not understanding what his volleyball coach. But then again, the ball of sunshine isn't the smartest cookie in the jar. 

***

"JI-CHAN!!!"

Ukai turned around with arms wide opened, a huge smile broke out on his face at the sight of his precious little crow. Without hesitation, you abandoned Keishin and Hinata as you ran towards your grandfather and into his arms. You wrapped your arms around your grandfather as you buried your face into his chest, your voice muffled as you spoke. "I miss you so much, Ji-chan."

You glanced up at Ukai when you felt his hand ruffling your (h/c) hair as he replied you, a fond smile on his face. "I miss you too, Little Crow. How have you been?"

Before you could reply, your brother's voice cut in saying, "Are you sure you're supposed to be moving around like that after getting out of the hospital?"

Ukai shifted his attention from you to his other grandchild, retorting. "What? If they let you out of the hospital, it means they give you permission to move around all you want. Ain't that right, (name)?"

You nodded your head in agreement before turning to Hinata with an excited grin on your face, pointing to your grandfather. "Hinata, this man here is Kei-nii's and I's grandpa."

Upon hearing that, Hinata has a shocked look on his face as he realised who the old man standing before him really is. "H-huh?! C..coach Ukai?!"

"Yeap, this old man here is the infamous Karasuno's Ukai." 

Hinata gulped as he shrinks back from Ukai's unnerving look sending his way.

"So, what are you doing here?" Ukai turned to face Keishin, waiting for an explanation.

Keishin glanced down at you who simply gave him a shrug, indicating that you wouldn't be the one to explain to your grandfather why the three of you were doing here. Karasuno's coach gave a sigh as he explained to his grandfather about the situation between Hinata and Kageyama. 

As your brother was talking to your grandfather, you were deep in thought as you remembered the fight that broke out between Karasuno's power duo. Immediately after coming back from Tokyo, Hinata demanded Kageyama to toss for him, but this time round with his eyes opened instead of closed like they usually do. However, no matter how hard Hinata tried, he simply couldn't sync with Kageyama's toss with his eyes open. 

It got to the point where Kageyama was done with Hinata that they began to argue which led to a fight between the duo. Yachi and you tried to break the fight up once you two realised that it was getting out of hand, only to fail until Tanaka stepped in and punched them both in the faces. 

Which leads to you, Hinata and Keishin turning to your grandfather for help since your brother was quite the useless one. 

"So, you couldn't figure out what to do with this weird attack and helplessly ran away, eh, Coach?" Your grandfather asked, mocking your brother with the tone of his voice. 

You stood there laughing as Keishin turned to the side, letting out an annoyed "tch". Before you knew it, you watched as your grandfather tossed your idiot of a brother into the air, his slippers flying off. "That's your team, you weakling!"

You fell onto the ground as you laughed even harder at your brother's demise, delighted that he was being punished because of his useless brain. Meanwhile, Hinata cried out, worried for his coach. "Coach?!"

You tried to calm the middle blocker down who was practically trembling in his shoes as he remembered his bald senior's words about your grandfather. "There there, Hinata. Ji-san is usually not that scary if your name doesn't start with a 'Ukai' and end with a 'Keishin'. So, calm down." 

However, Hinata ignored your words as he spoke to Ukai, stuttering in fear. "P-please help me!"

"With what? I don't go around smacking random people, just weaklings." Ukai replied sternly, his arms crossed.

"You shitty old man..." Keishin cursed his grandfather as he pushed himself up.

"This is why I'm Ji-san's favourite grandchild." You muttered under your breath as you shook your head in disappointment at your idiotic brother. 

Keishin glared at you as you stuck your tongue out at him while pulling an eye like the Trash King of Aoba Johsai does. (You know the pose that Trashykawa always does towards Kageyama.)

Meanwhile, Hinata spoke up again. "I-I came here to learn to fight on my own!"

Ukai smirked as he teased Hinata, saying. "You want to master mid-air battles when you're only that tall?"

"It's because I'm only this tall!" Hinata replied, determination shining in his brown eyes. 

You and Keishin glanced at one another with grins on both your faces at the look of surprise on grandfather's face, Hinata reminding him of one of his ex-volleyball student, the Little Giant. 

Trust Hinata to never give up no matter what obstacles were thrown at his face. 

"I might sound like I'm saying something weird, but..." Hinata trailed off, his head downcast. 

"What's weird about it?" 

Hinata lifts his head in surprise as Ukai continued, "No matter what kind of genius setter you're dealing with, in what we call a quick attack, the one that's the absolute leader is you."

Ukai points a finger towards Hinata, driving his point home as you grinned, understanding what your grandfather meant. Meanwhile, your dumbass of a brother simply tilted his head in confusion, not understanding anything at all. 

You laughed once more as your brother was once again being tossed by Ukai who shouted, "Stop spacing out! You're the coach, damn it!"

"Shut up, (nickname)-chan!" Your brother screamed at you as he began chasing after you who simply just dodged every time he's about to catch you. 

"Bleh! Catch me if you can, you slowpoke! Even Ji-san is faster than you and he's older than you too!"

For the next 15 minutes, Ukai explained and showed Hinata about the three different tempos. Meanwhile, you yawned in boredom, having already heard this subject many times before. 

"Ne Nii-chan, I'm hungry. Let's go and get something to eat." You whinnied as you tucked on your brother's shirt, your stomach growling. 

However, you didn't receive a reply from the older Ukai. Lifting your head up in annoyance to see what has caught your brother's attention only to be met with a concentrated look on Keishin's face. Your (e/c) eyes widen as you looked at Keishin in concern, saying, "Nii-chan, don't think too hard or else your tiny brain will overheat." 

Ignoring the insult you directed towards him, Keishin muttered "It can't be one-sided." before turning towards Hinata, shouting "Hinata, practice here for a bit!" before running off to who knows where. 

You stood there dumbfounded at your brother's retreating form before turning your head back to Ukai and Hinata, saying, "Did Nii-chan just thought of something useful?"

"The timing of the spiker's running approach is everything. One centimetre, one millimetre, one second faster to the top..."

You shift your attention to Hinata as he went on, "But that's not enough. Up until now, I was only working to get to the top, but..."

He trailed off, as Ukai answered Hinata back, finishing his sentence. "So from now on, you want to fight at the top, too."

You went on, understanding what your grandfather was saying. "In order for that to happen, Kageyama's gonna need some improvement as well. I'm sure Kei-nii will do something about that. Looks like he wasn't as useless after all."

"Kageyama's an amazing guy, so I'm sure he can do it." You grinned at Hinata's words. Even when they're not on the best of the term, Hinata still believed in Kageyama no matter what and you couldn't be any more proud of the ball of sunshine.

"I don't want to be left behind. Please teach me how to fight when I'm at the top."

Ukai and you exchanged grins with one another before you focused back onto Hinata with a giant grin. "And I'll be here to help you to fight the solo battle."

Looks like the baby crows of Karasuno are slowly begin to leave the nest one by one. 

(A/N: Sorry, the front part might seem boring to some people. But I wanted to introduce Ukai as he is, after all, reader-chan's grandfather. I wanted to show the relationship that Ukai and reader-chan have as reader-chan's quite similar to Ukai and it seemed like I would have fun writing about this two. So, I apologise again to those who find this part boring! >< Now, enough talking and let's get to the more exciting part of the story.)

***

After the meeting at your grandfather's house, you have been following Hinata there every day after school for personal training to improve on his mid-air battles. As days passed leading up to the week-long training camp at Tokyo, you began to realise that Hinata wasn't the only one doing personal training. 

Kageyama began to practice on perfecting the toss that will give Hinata more chances in the air. Asahi and Nishinoya were starting to try out new moves, the jump serves and the libero toss respectively, while Keishin introduced the synchronise attack to the rest who also began practising in order to perfect it. Meanwhile, Yamaguchi has been going to Shimada's place to work on the jump float serve after training in school. 

That's right, Karasuno's volleyball players are beginning to leave their nest one by one as they began to work on new things that will improve their volleyball skills. All but one. 

You watched as Tsukishima left the school by himself, Yamaguchi already left for Shimada's place. You could tell that something's up with the middle blocker, even Yamaguchi could tell. You flashback to the day when Yamaguchi approached you to speak to you, concerning string bean. 

_You stacked your books together before placing them neatly into your school bag. You left the classroom and headed towards the gym for volleyball training when you heard Yamaguchi calling you._

_"(name)-chan, wait up!"_

_You stopped in your tracks to allow the green-haired boy to catch up, with a smile on your face you said. "What's up Yam-Yam?"_

_Yamaguchi scratched his head nervously, wondering how he should approach this matter. You tilt your head in confusion as you asked, "What's the matter? Are you okay?"_

_Hearing the concern in your voice, Yamaguchi shook his head and waved his hands as he hurriedly replied. "Nothing nothing, (name)-chan. I was just wondering if you can help me something?"_

_"Sure, what is it?"_

_"It's about Tsukki."_

_"What did he do this time round?" You asked with an angry look on your face as you rolled your sleeves up, looking like you're ready to punch someone._

_Yamaguchi chuckled as he replied. "Nothing nothing. It's just that I'm busy with school and volleyball training that I don't have the time to check on Tsukki. Do you think you could help me to see if he's doing well?"_

_"Yamaguchi, there's more to it than just wanting to check up on string bean right?" You asked gently._

_Yamaguchi glanced down at you in surprise, amazed that you were able to read him that easily. However, the surprise didn't last for long when he remembered how you could tell what his volleyball position was with just one glance._

_The pinch server looked down at his feet with a sad smile on his face, saying. "You're amazing (name)-chan. You're right. I'm worried for Tsukki as everyone had been staying back to do extra practices except him. It wouldn't be fair to the team since everyone is moving forward and Tsukki will just be left behind which will just hold the team back."_

_You laughed softly as you lifted Yamaguchi's face, your (e/c) eyes staring into his black ones. "Oh Yamaguchi, always the kind soul. I know what you mean and you care for both Kei and the team, but yet you don't know what to do. Don't worry, I promise you that I'll keep an eye out for string bean. So, rest your worry mind and focus on your personal training, okay?"_

_Yamaguchi's face lit up as he took both your hands into his, shaking them vigorously as he thanked you. "Thank you so much, (name)-chan! You're the best!"_

_"You're welcome, Yam-Yam. But could you please stop shaking my hands so hard, I'm starting to loose balance here." You replied as you try to not fall due to the mini-earthquake the first year is giving you._

_Yamaguchi quickly released his hands as he apologised sheepishly, "Sorry, I got too excited."_

_"It's fine. Now, let's going or we'll be late for training."_

_"Yeah!"_

Turning to Hinata, you quickly said. "Hinata, I wouldn't be able to join you for training today with Ji-san as I have some errands to run. Sorry about that."

Hinata smiled as he replied. "It's fine (nickname)-chan. I'll be good on my own. See you tomorrow!"

You waved goodbye to the orange-haired first year before chasing after Tsukishima. 

"Kei-kun! Wait for me!"

Tsukishima paused in his footsteps when he heard you calling his name, his heart pounding. Tsukishima's face tinted a slight red, still not used to you addressing him by his first name. Turning around, he was surprised to see you running full speed towards him. The middle blocker blinked his eyes in confusion, not understanding why you were approaching him when you're supposed to be with Hinata. 

"What do you want? I thought you were supposed to help Chibi-chan with his training?" Tsukishima asked, his brows furrowed in concerned at the way how hard you're panting for air. 

You took huge gulps of air, replenishing the oxygen that your body lost due running at full speed. Once you're sure you wouldn't die due to the lack of oxygen, you faced Tsukishima with a volleyball in your hands, grinning. "Come, let's go to the park. You're gonna help me practice on a new move that I've been working on."

"Eh?!"

With that, you grabbed Tsukishima's arms as you began your walk to the park nearby, dragging the male behind you. Tsukishima stumbled as he tried to match your pace and with the huge height difference between you two, Tsukishima's body has bent awkwardly in half as he struggled to walk properly. 

"Ano, (name). Do you mind letting go of me? It's quite hard for me to walk properly." Tsukishima mumbled, his heart pounding even harder when he realised you were holding his hand tightly. 

When you realised that, you released Tsukishima immediately as you apologised with a sheepish look on your face. "Oops. Sorry about that."

Tsukishima straightened his uniform as he tries to get his heartbeat under control. After realising that he has feelings for you, the tsundere beanstalk didn't know how to act around you as he was new to all these feelings and wasn't sure if he should act on them or not. He didn't want you to know that he likes you as he was afraid of rejection, especially from you. Tsukishima treasured the friendship he has with you and didn't want to ruin it, knowing that you probably didn't return his feelings. 

The blond male wasn't sure if he should feel upset or happy at that thought. 

However, for now, he'll push these thoughts aside as he focused on what's happening before him. You looked at Tsukishima with curious, (e/c) eyes, wondering if the blond male was fine or not. He wasn't acting like his usual cynical self which was weird as you were used to it. Lately, Tsukishima always seemed flustered whenever he's around you. In fact, you couldn't remember when was the last time he teased or insulted you. 

"Ne Kei-kun, are you okay? You seemed off lately." You asked, concern for the string bean filling you. 

"I..I'm fine!" Tsukishima defended himself as he turned his body away from you, the tip of his ears burning red. 

"If you say so. Now, let's go!" You shrugged before skipping off in the direction of the park, humming a tune.

'Oh well, people do have their off days and I'm sure Kei-kun is probably tired from training. I'm sure he'll be back to normal soon.' You thought as you turned to face Tsukishima, asking him to hurry up with an annoyed look on your face. 

"Hurry up, slowpoke! I thought with those long legs of yours, you would have reached the park by now!"

"At least I will be able to catch up to you easily even if I'm being left behind, unlike you." Tsukishima gave you a smirk as he easily caught up to you in two strides. 

"Curse you and your long legs." You muttered under your breath, a scowl on your face. 

"There, there. It's still not too late for you to catch up if you eat your vegetables more often." Tsukishima patted you on your head as he teased you, knowing how much you hated eating vegetables.

You pushed Tsukishima's hand off your head as you ran ahead of the blond, shouting. "Let's see if you can catch up with me now, string bean! The last one to reach the park is the rotten egg!"

Tsukishima shook his head at your childishness, a fond smile on his face when he saw you waiting for him to catch up. Your (e/c) eyes lit up at the sight of Tsukishima's smile as you waved your arms around above your head, shouting. "Hurry up, Kei-kun or else you're gonna be the rotten egg!"

Tsukishima rolled his golden eyes as he picked up his pace, heading in your direction. "You're already 16 and yet you still act like a 5-year-old child."

You stuck your tongue out at the middle blocker who just chuckled in return. For the rest of the way to the park, you and Tsukishima argued over small issues like old times. The whole time butterflies were fluttering in your stomach when you saw the way how Tsukishima's golden eyes lit up, a small smile on his face. You were still figuring out what these feelings you get whenever you're around the first year meant. However, for the first time ever, you weren't afraid of them. In fact, these feelings reminded you of those matches you won with your Russian team. 

And these feelings always left you feeling joyful, hence why you weren't that worried, just confused. 

"Munchkin, earth to munchkin."

"Huh?" You snapped out of your thoughts when you heard Tsukishima calling your name, a concerned look on his face. 

"Are you okay? You seemed out of it." Tsukishima asked. 

"I-i'm fine! We should hurry up to the park before it gets too late." You stuttered in reply. 

"We're already at the park. That was what I was trying to tell you, but you seemed deep in thought. Thinking about me?" Tsukishima teased you with a smirk on his face, ignoring the way how his heart was pounding against his chest. 

Tsukishima watched you with curiosity and slight hope, wondering how you were gonna react. Knowing it's you, you would probably just come up with a sarcastic comeback as usual. However, the middle blocker's golden eyes widened in surprise due to the look on your face. Your (e/c) eyes were wide opened and your mouth slightly opened in shock, your cheeks slowly turning bright red. Tsukishima could feel his face burning as well as a zoo erupted in his stomach at the sight of you stumped. 

The first year was not expecting you to react this way at all. 

Meanwhile, you stood frozen as Tsukishima's words hit bullseyes. You could feel your face burning as your heart beated wildly, not believing that string bean was able to guess right away that you were thinking of him! An awkward silence filled the air as both first years stared at one another, both faces flushing red. 

Not being able to stand the awkward silence between you two, you spoke up, stuttering as you broke the silence. "A-as if I am thinking of you. Who would want a string bean to be on their mind? The person will go insane."

"Your face seems to be telling me otherwise." Tsukishima snorted in disbelief, his cheeks reduced to pink hues. 

Irk marks appeared on your forehead as you glared at Tsukishima. "The same could be said about you. After all, your face is as red as mine."

"It gets quite cold at night." Tsukishima retorted, a smirk on his face when you scowled at him. 

"Bullshit! It's summer for goodness sake! It's anything but cold." You replied smugly, thinking you have won this time round. 

"Nice try on beating me, Munchkin. If you had paid attention during science class, you would have known that night time tend to be cooler as compared to daytime, no matter what season." Tsukishima crossed his arms, a smug look on his face. 

Your face changed into one of irritation as you cursed the blond, forgetting that Tsukishima was a smart ass. "Shut up, string bean. I would have you know that I'm top in class for science."

"Yet, you failed at knowing such a simple fact. Even a middle school student knows that." Tsukishima replied dryly. 

"Why, you! I'm gonna rip your brain out and feed it to the crows. Then, we'll see if you're still that smart without your brain!"

"That's if you can reach my head first. With that height of yours, I don't think it will happen anytime soon. So, I'm safe."

"Argh! You're so annoying!"

"Yea, yea, you told me that about a hundred times."

You struggled to hit Tsukishima as he flicked your forehead in retaliation. You let out a squeal of pain as tears filled your eyes, shooting a glare at Tsukishima who just smirked at you which only infuriated you further. A few seconds passed as both of you stared at one another, a glare on your face and a smirk on the megane's face before smiles broke out on both of your faces. You smiled at Tsukishima, your cheeks pinking while Tsukishima gave you a soft smile as his cheeks too reddened slightly.

"If you're done staring at me, let's go before it gets too late," Tsukishima smirked at you as you glared at him playfully, a smile still on your face. 

"I-I was just waiting for you to move your ass so that you won't be left behind."

"You do know that I can catch up to you easily, right?"

"S-shut up, I know that!"

Tsukishima chuckled as you stomped into the park, muttering under your breath. With a smile on his face, Tsukishima followed after you as he teased you the entire way. You swatted Tsukishima's hands away from you, annoyance on your face while your mind was filled with thoughts of Tsukishima. 

You were still oblivious as to why you were acting all flustered around Tsukishima, but one thing you were certained was that you didn't mind it at all. After all, being around the blond male is always full of surprises. However, maybe you should ask Michiko about what these feelings meant the next time round you see her. 

"I know that I'm handsome and all, but you should really stop spacing out or you're gonna walk into a tree."

"As if I will think of someone so ugly. There are much better-looking guys out there like Lev or Kageyama."

Poke. 

"Ahhhh, my head! Why would you do that?! It hurts! Screw you string bean!"

"..."

Bonus

"OH, MY GOD! My baby is growing up so fast. She's already on her first date with Tsukishima-san!" Michiko whispered-yelled as she observed two of her classmates bickering back and forth. 

"Did you hear that just now?"

"No, I didn't. You must be hearing things."

"Nah, I think you're just going deaf."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I'm finally back from the dead! Once again, I'm so so so sorry for not updating this story for like a long time. Now that my exams are over, I should be able to update weekly once more. Anyway, things are just gonna start heating up as clueless reader-chan tries to figure out what these new feelings are. Also, I apologised in advance if Tsukishima becomes too OCC. >< Thanks for all the lovely comments and hearts! Love you all and I'll see you in the next chapter! Ja ne!


	17. Part 2: Chapter 17

"(nickname)-chan! Emergency! I need to talk to you, like now! I'm gonna borrow her, Tsukishima-san!" 

Three pairs of eyes blinked as you, Tsukishima and Yamaguchi stared at their class president in bewilderment. Michiko was panting for air after running all the way to class and shouting in your faces. 

It was currently during lunch time and the three of you were eating your meal peacefully when Michiko came bursting into the classroom, disrupting your meal times. You swallowed your food as you stood up, feeling concern for your best friend. 

"Mi-chan, are you okay? What do you need to talk to me about?"

Ignoring your question, the first-year grabbed your hands and ran out of the class, dragging you along. "No time to waste! See you later, Yamaguchi-san and Tsukishima-san!"

Yamaguchi and Tsukishima stared at both their classmates' retreating forms until they were out of sight. Tsukishima returned back to eating his lunch as Yamaguchi blinked his eyes in confusion, asking, "What was that all about?"

Tsukishima took a bite out of his strawberry cake as he answered monotonously, "I don't know and I don't want to know. Just focus on finishing your lunch, lunch break is going to end soon."

"Okay, Tsukki!"

"Don't call me that."

"Sorry, Tsukki."

***

You were still being dragged along as Michiko continued running down the hallway, going to who knows where. You were still feeling confused and concern towards your best friend's unusual behaviour, wondering if she had lost her mind. 

"Mi-chan, please slow down. You're gonna rip off my arm if you continue to pull me along like that." You said as your arm began to throb in pain. 

Michiko immediately released your arm with a sheepish look as you rubbed your arm, glaring at her. 

"Sorry." Michiko apologised. 

You sighed as you rubbed your head, feeling a headache coming. "Nevermind that. So, what's the 'emergency' you wanna talk about with me?"

You air-quoted the word "emergency" and waited for Michiko's reply. Class 1-4 president's eyes lit up as she grabbed you by the shoulders and begun to shake you like crazy while shouting in excitement, "Are you and Tsukishima-san dating?! Why didn't you tell me?! I thought we are best friends!"

You felt your head spinning as Michiko continued to give you a mini-earthquake. Before you could lose your lunch, you begged your best friend to stop shaking you. "Mi-chan! I'm gonna lose my lunch if you continue to shake me that hard."

Michiko released you immediately as you tried to regain your sense of balance. When you felt that you weren't going to black out, you fixed a glare at your best friend who gave you an innocent look. "Seriously, Mi-chan? What's wrong with you? I swear one of these days..."

You trailed off as Michiko's words from earlier on sank in. The black-haired female grinned in amusement as she watched your face changed from shock to disbelief to embarrassment. You could feel your face heating up at the mention of you and Tsukishima in a relationship. You could imagine how horrible it would be if you were to date that sadistic string bean. 

Michiko began to giggle at the look of horror on your face. "It can't be that bad, dating Tsukishima-san. I mean, have you seen yourself whenever you're around him? The moment he enters the room, your face lit up like the sun."

You turned to Michiko with an appalled look as you took her by the shoulders and stared directly into her eyes. "Are you out of your mind?! Why will you think that string bean and I are dating? Which we're not, by the way! We're just friends!"

"And I do not, I repeat do not light up like the sun whenever Kei-kun enters the room!" You added on. 

"OH MY GOSH! YOU GUYS ARE ON FIRST NAME BASIS ALREADY? YOU CALLED TSUKISHIMA-SAN BY HIS FIRST NAME, HOW CUTE!" 

Michiko squealed in delight as you try your best to get her to shut up before people start coming out of their classroom to investigate what's happening.

"Mi-chan, keep it down! You're gonna attract attention!" You said, desperation shown on your face. 

Michiko calmed down before remembering what you said earlier on. She tilted her head to the side as she asked, "Wait, did you mention earlier on that you and Tsukishima-san aren't dating?"

"Yes, I said that. Please believe me when I say that he and I aren't dating." You desperately answered, hoping that she would believe you. 

"But I swore I saw you and Tsukishima on a date at the park near our school the other night?" Michiko muttered under her breath, a concentrated look on her face. 

"What?" You stared at your friend as though she had lost her mind.

Michiko turned her attention back to you as she exclaimed, "I saw you and Tsukishima-san at the park near our school after volleyball training, I think. Both of you were blushing and being fluffy with one another. There's no other explanation other than that you two are dating!"

Your (e/c) eyes widen when you realised what Michiko was referring to. Your mind flashbacked to yesterday night when you and Tsukishima were at the park after training. Your brows furrowed when you remembered that you heard some rustling and what sounds like a girl screaming coming from some nearby bushes, but you weren't so sure. 

"The sounds that I heard at the park that night, it can't be..." You trailed off before turning to Michiko with a glare as the girl crept away, trying to escape from you.

"Michiko Akiyama."

The said female froze in her steps when she heard the warning tone in your voice. Turning around slowly, Michiko winced when she saw the glare on your face. Hesitatingly, Michiko replied, "Yes?"

"Is there something that you aren't telling me?" Your (e/c) eyes narrowed further, scrutinising the girl as she shrunk in fear. 

"I-I might or might not have spied on you and Tsukishima-san," Michiko replied quietly, however she went on when she saw the look on your face. "It wasn't on purpose though! I was just passing by on my way home after club activity when I saw you and Tsukishima-san at the park which only made me curious as to what you guys are doing there."

You sighed and shook your head, wondering why were you friends with such a person like Michiko. The first-year simply grinned slyly, causing you to be wary of her. "Whatever you're thinking of, stop thinking of it."

Michiko took your face into both her arms as she stared intensely into your (e/c) eyes, trying to find something in there that would answer all her questions. 

"Mi-chan, what are you doing exactly?" You asked, your voice muffled as Michiko squished your cheeks together. 

"Ah, I see I see," Michiko muttered mysteriously as she finally released your cheeks.

You rubbed your sore cheeks as you stared at your best friend curiously, thinking if she had lost her mind. You only became more even more curious when she began to pace up and down the hallway while muttering nonsense under her breath. 

Yeap, the girl has lost her mind completely. 

"Mi-chan, I think you should lie down at the sickbay." You said as you tried to stop her pacing.

Suddenly, Michiko stopped pacing abruptly and turned to face you with a serious look. You began to back away slowly, afraid of the girl standing in front of you staring at you with an intense look. Sweat formed on your forehead as Michiko invaded your personal space, her face practically an inch away from your own. 

"Erm, Mi-chan?"

"I knew it! I knew it!" 

You could only stare in bewilderment as your friend began to dance around like a drunkard, a happy look on her face. And you thought you were the weird one. 

You straightened your body as you face Michiko who had stopped dancing, a giant smile on her face. You asked confusingly, not able to comprehend what your friend was thinking about. "Mi-chan? Seriously, what's wrong with you? You've been acting all weird ever since you barged into the class like you just ran a marathon."

"You like Tsukishima-san!" Michiko excitedly exclaimed as she pointed a finger at you. 

Confusion turned into shock as you stood there with wide (e/c) eyes, your brain not functioning. You could only stare at Michiko as the girl began dancing around you once more, chanting "(name)-chan likes Tsukishima-san" under her breath. 

You snapped out of it when you heard whispers coming from your fellow schoolmates. You glanced around as everyone stared and talked about the both of you. You felt the first-hand embarrassment for your crazy female friend as your face became so red that you put all tomatoes to shame. 

Bowing, you apologised for the commotion before grabbing Michiko by the arm and escaped to an empty classroom. You pushed Michiko inside as you shut the door behind you, panting for air. 

Michiko felt guilty when she saw the tired look on your face as you tried to calm your erratic heart down. "Sorry, (nickname)-chan."

You took in a deep breath before facing Michiko with a stern look, your arms crossed, saying. "Alright, you need to calm down and stop spouting ridiculous words. What makes you think that I like Kei-kun? That's just crazy talk!"

You threw your arms up in the air at the end of your mini-rant, a disbelief looks on your face. You almost laughed at the idea of you having feelings for the dinosaur lover. As if that will ever happen unless hell freezes over. 

Michiko shook her head as she approached you, pushing you from behind as she directs you to sit down. "My poor baby, you're like a newborn when it comes to romance. Not knowing anything at all, you poor child. Come, let mother teach you all that she knows."

You groaned as you realised where this was going. You knew that you'll be here for a while listening to one of Michiko's "life" lecture. "Is this really the right time to listen to one of your life lessons?"

"Of course! It's always the right time for life lessons!" Michiko replied indignantly, feeling offended by your words. 

You rolled your eyes at her dramatic flair and rest your head on your hand, a bored look on your face. Michiko smiled when she knew that she had your attention despite the bored look you're giving her.

One thing that Michiko love about you is that every time she goes into one of her life lessons, you will always listen to her no matter how boring it is. 

"Okay, now that I have your attention, let's start with something simple first. What do you see Tsukishima-san as?" Michiko asked. 

"A close friend." You monotonously answered, not understanding where this was going. 

"Hmm. That's a good start. Now, whenever you're around him, what do you feel?" The first-year went on. 

"I don't see where this is going -"

"Just answer the question!" Michiko cut you off with a glare, you doing the same.

You banged your head on the table as you groan, "I don't know. Normal?"

Michiko lifted up your head as you gave her an "are-you-done" look, shaking you vigorously and dramatically exclaiming, "No! No! You need to be more specific, (name)-chan! Come on, you can do this better than that!"

At this point, you were done with your best friend and her annoying behaviour. So, you snapped. 

"Fine! You want me to be specific, I'll be specific! So specific that you can write a book about it. Whenever I'm around Kei-kun, I feel contented and happy. Every time that string bean smile at me, I feel an entire zoo rampaging in my stomach in a good way. Instead of feeling angry whenever he teases me, I feel joyful. If you're wondering, I find myself wanting to always be around him!"

"(name)-chan, you need to calm-"  
   
You interrupted Michiko as you went on, to focus on your ranting to listen to what Michiko has to say.   
   
"Furthermore, my heart always beats wildly whenever he does something cool during volleyball training. I find myself blushing whenever Kei-kun praises me. At the same time, it always breaks my heart when he shuts me out and I hate it. Yet, I can't help wanting to know what's behind those walls he builds over the years. I've been feeling like this ever since the away games in Tokyo and I don't know what these feelings mean, they scare me. However, I don't want these feelings to go away. There! I said everything there is to say. Are you happy now?!"

By the time you finished your rant, you were panting for air as Michiko stared at you with wide eyes, not expecting you to explode at all. You and Michiko stare at one another - you looking frustrated while Michiko looked surprised.

Your (h/c) hair fluttered up slightly before coming to a standstill as a breeze entered the classroom from an open window. You sighed as you collapsed in your seat, your face buried in your hands. Despite feeling vulnerable after wearing your heart on your sleeves, you felt a weight lifted off your shoulders. 

Michiko's eyes soften when she realised that you had confessed how you felt towards Tsukishima and now, all you had to do was to admit that you might be falling for him. All you need was a little push in the right direction and Michiko is more than happy to help you, although she might need help from some people. 

You looked up at your best friend with a hopeless look as she tugged your hands away from your face. Michiko softly smiled as she said, "(name), those feelings you are feeling around Tsukishima-san are feelings of falling for someone."

Michiko watched your face with a hopeful look, waiting anticipatedly for your reaction. However, she wqwcmet with disappointment when you responded with an "oh."

"Seriously?! That's all you have to say?!" Michiko shouted at you while clutching her hair so hard you were afraid she's gonna pulled them out. 

"What do you want me to say!" You gave your friend a confused look as you replied. 

"Oh, I don't know! Maybe an "Oh my god, I'm in love with Kei-kun!" or something like that along the line. Honestly (name)-chan, you're so hopeless!" Michiko said as she threw her arms into the air, expressing her frustration towards you. 

"This is my first time feeling this way. That's why I didn't know how to react." You muttered under breath, your cheeks slightly pink. 

Michiko whipped her head towards you with a look of surprise as she exclaimed, "Sugar Honey Ice Tea! Are you telling me that you have never felt this way towards a guy before?!"

You shook your head as your cheeks redden, feeling embarrassed at the fact that you never had a crush before. At that time, you didn't really see the need of having a partner as you were busy with volleyball. You didn't have the time to be in a relationship, so you didn't bother. 

You looked at Michiko with a curious look when you realised she had not replied at all. Michiko was standing there with her mouth wide open as you back away immediately, knowing that she was gonna explode any moment. 

Your intuition was right when not two seconds later, Michiko exploded into her fangirl mode. She grabbed you by the hands as she swung the both of you around and around while shouting, "Oh my gosh! This is too precious! Tsukishima-san is your first love and that's the best kind of love ever!"

Michiko released you as she started daydreaming. "Ah, the sweet taste of first love. It's even better when they meet in high school. Nothing beats seeing two high school sweethearts being married after many years later ."

You rubbed your sore wrists as you glared at Michiko, saying, "Don't be ridiculous, Mi-chan. Kei-kun and I aren't gonna be together, let alone talk about marriage. Besides, I'm too young to be thinking about this sort of things."

"(name)-chan! You're not allowed to say such things! I'm gonna make you realise that you and Tsukishima-san are meant to be together! Then, you're gonna get married and I'll babysit your cute kids!" Michiko gasped, feeling offended that her own friend would destroy her ship. 

You rolled your (e/c) eyes at Michiko's dramatic reaction as you said with a final tone, "For the last time, I don't love Kei-kun and we aren't gonna be together. We're just good friends. Get that through your thick skull. Now that's established, let's head back to class, lunch period is almost over."

With that being said, you pushed the door opened as you head back to class. Michiko gave a frustrated groan, not understanding why were you such a stubborn human being. She trailed behind you as she complained, "Why can't you see that fate has decided you and Tsukishima-san are meant to be?"

You ignored Michiko as she went on, a determined look on her face. "I'm gonna make you accept the fact that you're in love with Tsukishima-san."

"Good luck with that." You replied dryly as you sat down. 

Michiko glared at you, determined to prove you wrong. "Don't say I didn't warn you first."

Tension sparked in the air between the two females as neither refused to back down. You gave Michiko a smirk who stuck her tongue at you before taking a seat. However, you knew that you can never stay mad at Michiko for long as both of you burst out into laughter. 

Tsukishima raised a brow at your behaviour, silently asking what's going on. You shook your head with a smile on your face as you mouthed, "Nothing."

The middle blocker shrugged before giving you a small smile, a fond look on his face that left you blushing. You quickly turned your head to the front as you fan your redden cheeks, trying to make the blush to disappear. 

You caught Michiko's eyes as she wiggled her eyebrows, a smirk on her face. She mouthed the words "I told you so" with a smug look on her face that has you glaring at her. 

You let out a groan and buried your head in your arms as Michiko's words from earlier on came to mind. _"(name), those feelings you are feeling around Tsukishima-san are feelings of falling for someone."_

For the rest of the day, you only had one thought on your mind as you tried to ignore Michiko's knowing looks and Tsukishima's questioning gaze. 

_'Can it be that maybe Michiko's right? Am I really falling for string bean?!'_

***

Tsukishima's furrowed his brows as he tried to figure out what was wrong with you. Ever since lunch period ended, you have been acting rather off. By off, Tuskishima meant that you have been avoiding him every time he tried to talk to you. 

Did he do something to set you off? After all, you seemed to be acting perfectly fine whenever you're around other people. It seems like Tsukishima was the only exception. 

The blond first-year gripped the volleyball that was in his hands tightly, frustration written all over his face as he stared at you laughing along with Hinata and Kageyama. Tsukishima couldn't understand why were you avoiding him when he remembered clearly that he haven't done anything to set you off. 

You were laughing as you watched Hinata and Kageyama bickering over who was better volleyball. However, you stopped laughing when you caught Tsukishima glaring at you, his hands gripping the volleyball tightly. 

Your cheeks pinked as guilt overcame you. You have a slight idea as to why Tsukishima was acting this way. Ever since Michiko planted the idea of you having feelings for Tsukishima, you have been avoiding him. It's not his fault that you were acting this way, you just didn't know how to act around the blond. 

Your emotions were all over the place. Half of you wanted to be around the male, laughing and smiling like you usually do. While the other half knows that you would make a fool out of yourself if you were to be around him - your heart will be beating crazily and your face will be on fire. 

Just the thought of it already has your cheeks pinking slightly and butterflies fluttering all over your stomach. You caught Tsukishima's eyes as they widened slightly in surprise before narrowing into a glare. You bit your lips as Tsukishima turned his back to you and walked off.

You can't help but wanting to run over and apologised to Tsukishima. 

"(name)-chan, are you okay? Your face is red."

"Eek!"

You let out a squeal and jumped ten feet into the air when you heard Suga's voice appearing next to you from out of nowhere. "Suga-senpai, you gave me a scare."

"Sorry, (name)-chan." Suga apologised as he pulled you onto your feet.

"It's fine." You smiled with assurance at your vice-captain who smiled in return. However, that smile gave way to concern as Suga furrowed his brows and said, "Are you and Tsukishima fighting?"

Your (e/c) eyes blinked as you replied, "What?"

Suga chuckled at the lost look on your face as he repeated what he said, "I'm asking if you and Tsukishima are fighting. Both of you aren't talking to one another which is weird since you guys are always together."

You shook your head as you explained, "Kei-kun and I aren't fighting. It's just that, how do I put this, I don't know how to act around him normally."

Suga tilts his head to the side, a confused look on his face. "What do you mean?"

You sighed as you glanced towards where Tsukishima was sitting by himself in one corner, a frown still visible on his face. Suga's head followed you as you explained your troubles to your senior. "A friend of mine planted the idea that I might have feelings for Kei-kun in my head which is not true as he and I are just close friends."

Suga laughed lightly when he realised that there was nothing serious happening between you and Tsukishima. He ruffled your (e/c) hair as he said simply. "Sometimes all you need to do is to feel with your heart and not think with your brain."

Your brows furrowed in confusion as you tried to decipher the meaning behind the silver-haired setter's words. "I don't understand where you're coming from Suga-senpai."

Suga smiled gently as you gave him a hopeless look, saying. "What I meant is, you need to open up your heart and let things fall into place naturally. Don't think so much about your feelings towards Tsukishima, instead focus on him. Then, you'll naturally come to realise and accept if you have fallen for him or not."

You face split into a giant smile as you thanked your friend happily, "Thank you, Suga-senpai! You've been a great help!"

Suga chuckled as he patted you on the head for encouragement before heading back to where everyone was. You took a deep breath as you try to calm your heart down. Now that you know what to do, your thoughts were more coherent as you approached Tsukishima, ready to apologise for your behaviour. 

"Kei-kun, do you have a minute? I need to talk to you."

Tsukishima turned his attention to you as he saw you approaching him, replying coldly. "What do you want?"

You winced at the cold tone directed towards you as you said, "I just want to apologise for avoiding you. It's just that my thoughts were all over the place and I wasn't acting like myself."

Tsukishima's coldness melted away as he replied curiously, "Are you okay?"

You faltered at Tsukishima's question as your face became red. You shook your head and gave an awkward laugh, saying. "I-I'm fine, it's nothing for you to worry about! Ha. Ha."

Tsukishima blinked his golden eyes as he simply said. "Okay if you say so."

"Does that mean you're okay with me now?" You gave Tsukishima a hopeful look. 

Deciding to play around with you for a bit, Tsukishima replied thoughtfully, "Hmm, I wonder. I mean you did avoid me..."

He trailed off as you gave him a pout, mumbling, "Meanie."

Tsukishima chuckled as he ruffled your hair, happiness could be heard in his voice as he spoke. "I'm just kidding, Munchkin. I forgive you, just don't avoid me again."

"Whatever." You muttered as you looked away from the smile directed at you, blushing. 

Tsukishima smirked as he gave you a peck on your forehead, ignoring the way how hard his heart was beating. He straightened as he watched your face for any reaction. You froze like a statue as your (e/c) eyes and mouth widen in shock, your entire face becoming even redder. 

When the blond saw your expression, he smugly said. "You look like a tomato. Should I call you tomato-chan from now onwards?"

You glared at Tsukishima as your face remained red. Instead of using words as your retaliation, you stood on your toe as you closed your eyes and kissed Tsukishima's cheek. Now it was Tsukishima's turn to be frozen in shock as his face became as red as yours. 

"Look like I should be the one to call you tomato-kun." You smirked despite redness painting your cheeks. 

Tsukishima scowled at you as he replied, "You're annoying."

Both of you glared at one another, completely oblivious to the fact that the entire Karasuno team was staring at the two love birds. 

Suga shook his head with a smile on his face, saying, "Such tsundere."

Daichi laughed as he reprimands his vice-captain lightly, "Now, now, Suga. We should leave them be."

Everyone laughed as you and Tsukishima bickered like old times. Only this time around, both of your faces were red as both teenagers try to ignore the fact that both parties were falling for one another. (Actually, it’s more like reader-chan is the one who is ignoring this fact, Tsukishima is just too embarrassed to admit that he is falling deeper for you. :D )

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Next chapter hint: summer festival)


	18. Part 2: Chapter 18a

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there everyone! I'll be splitting the summer festival into 2 chapters otherwise it will become too long. So which means, you guys get double updates this time round! Yay! Okay, enough of me talking and let's go on with the story! Happy reading!

"Everyone! We're here!"

All heads turned towards the direction of your voice as you waved at your teammates with a big smile on your face, announcing your arrival. 

"Shut up, you're so annoying," Tsukishima said irritatingly and hit you on your head. 

"Ow! Why did you hit me on the head, string bean?!" You demanded as you glared at Tsukishima, rubbing your head. 

Tsukishima ignored you as he made his way towards where the rest of the Karasuno team were laughing at both of your antics. Yamaguchi chuckled as he patted you on the head gently while you cursed the blond male under your breath, each taking a seat next to Tsukishima. 

"Stupid dinosaur lover." You muttered under your breath as you miserably took a bite out of your sandwich. 

Tsukishima gave you an annoyed glare which you return with by sticking out your tongue at him. Before the two of you could break out into a fight again, Daichi said in a warning voice, "If you two bicker one more time, you're gonna have to clean the entire gym after training."

Your (e/c) eyes widen at your captain's words as you passed your sandwich to Tsukishima who took it wordlessly as he ate his lunch. 

"You can't do that captain! That's so unfair. This is how Kei-kun and I work, isn't that right?" You protested as you turned to Tsukishima, silently begging for help.

Tsukishima shrugged as he turned his attention to Yamaguchi who was talking about something related to dinosaurs. Your mouth dropped wide in shock at the fact that the strawberry lover betrayed you while Daichi gave you a smug look, silently saying that he has won. 

Everyone watched with amused smiles as you sat in one corner, muttering about how the world hates you as you grew some mushrooms. 

It was currently lunch period and the Karasuno team was having lunch together on the rooftop. Laughter filled the air, making the atmosphere lively. You sat next to Tsukishima with a smile on your face as you watched your friends goofing around and enjoying themselves. 

Tanaka and Nishinoya were trying to get Kiyoko's attention who ignored the idiotic duo as she and Yachi discussed today's training schedule. Meanwhile, the third years were talking about which university they planned to apply to after graduation. You let out a laugh as Hinata and Kageyama competed to see who could finish eating their lunch first. Yamaguchi and the rest of the second years were chatting about some new anime that recently just came out. 

You took a bite out of your sandwich as you thought to yourself, 'We should do this more often.'

"What are you smiling about? It's creepy." Tsukishima said, snapping you out of your thoughts. 

"Shut up! My smile is the loveliest smile in the world!" You retorted with a glare. 

"I know. I am just joking." Tsukishima gave you a soft smile that left you with bright red cheeks.

"I hate you string bean." You muttered, not meaning what you say. 

"I know, I know. I hate you too, Munchkin." Tsukishima chuckled as he stroke your (h/c) hair gently, his cheeks slightly pink. 

"Aww so cute!" Suga fanboy (?) as he took pictures of you and Tsukishima with his handphone. 

Both of you snapped out of it as you pushed Tsukishima away, your face bursting into million shades of red while Tsukishima simply looked away. The blond male was trying to act like he wasn't embarrassed, but his red ears gave him away. 

"T-This isn't what it looks like!" You shouted in embarrassment, not believing that you got caught up in the moment with Tsukishima. 

"(nickname)-chan, don't be shy. There's nothing to be ashamed in liking Tsukishima." Suga reprimanded you gently. 

"Exactly! We'll support the both of you!" Both Tanaka and Nishinoya added on. 

At this point, you wished that the ground would open up and swallowed you so that you can die peacefully from all these embarrassments. Luckily for you, Daichi came to your rescue as he wrapped his arms around his vice-captain and dragged him away who was trying to take more pictures of you and Tsukishima. 

After reprimanding the silver-haired setter, Daichi said, "Alright, now that's out of the way, I have an announcement to make."

When the black-haired spiker was certain that all attention was focused on him, he went on. "Before you make any sort of noise, wait until I finish speaking first. Anyway, today's training is cancelled-"

"WHAT?! WHY?!"

Before Daichi could even finish his sentence, both Hinata and Kageyama cut him off, not believing that they wouldn't be able to play their favorite sport today. Soon after, everyone began to voice their concerns, wondering what was going on. Daichi rubbed his forehead as a headache began to form from all the noises. 

Having enough of it, Daichi growled, causing everyone to immediately shut up. "Shut up! If you guys haven't cut me off so soon, you'll know why training is cancelled today."

"Sorry." Everyone muttered their apologies. 

Daichi sighed as he went on. "Honestly one of these days I'm gonna get white hair at an early age. Anyway, the reason why training is cancelled today is that we'll be attending one of Miyagi's shrines famous summer festival. Ukai-san, Takeda-sensei and I have been discussing letting you guys have a break. After all the hard work everyone put in, you all deserve a break."

Daichi watched as his team's faces lit up with excitement at the thought of going to a summer festival. Soon enough, everyone broke out into chatters as they voiced their excitement. Your (e/c) eyes lit up at the thought of the fun games you can play and the delicious food melting on your tongue. 

"What are you getting so excited about? It's just a festival." Tsukishima said as he glanced at his teammates with an annoyed look, not understanding what's all the fuss about. 

Your entire body turned and faced the annoyed male with glimmering eyes, your excited face shoved into his personal space. "But that's because it's been years since I attended a summer festival!"

Tsukishima glowered at you as he pushed your face away from, turning his body away from you as he tried to steady his heartbeat at the close proximity between the two of you. He nearly had a heart attack when your face came out of nowhere with your big (e/c) eyes, invading his personal space. 

Sometimes, Tsukishima thinks that you're acting cute unconsciously. 

"Noya-san! We get to see Kiyoko wearing a yukata!" Tanaka expresses his excitement to the libero who has a dreamy look on his face at the thought of their beauty manager in a sexy _yukata_. 

"Right, Ryuu! Tonight will be the night of young!" Nishinoya shouted as the bald second-year joined in, their loud voices drowning out all other noises. 

"Shut up!" Daichi glared at the idiotic duo as he hit them on the head. 

Nishinoya and Tanaka cried out in pain as they collapsed onto the ground, clutching their heads in pain. Daichi glared at them again as he faced everyone, saying. "Alright. Since that there's no training today, you can go home directly after school to rest up before meeting up. We'll be meeting at the entrance of the shrine at 6 pm. Don't be late!"

" _Osu!_ " Everyone let out their agreement. 

After that, everyone broke into smaller groups as they began to talk about tonight's festival. You walked away from Tsukishima as you headed in the direction of Karasuno's managers. 

"Ya-chan! Kiyoko-senpai!" 

The two managers turned to you with smiles on their faces when they heard you calling their names. You skipped your way over to them with a huge grin on your face as you joined them, chatting amicably about tonight's event. 

"Hello, (nickname)-chan! Are you looking forward to the festival?" Yachi asked excitedly. 

You nod your head as you took Yachi by the hands and began to swing her around and around. "Yeap! I can't wait!"

Kiyoko gave a small smile at her underclassmen's excitement. The beauty third-year laughed as she saw how pale Yachi's face from being spun around too hard. "Alright, (name)-chan. I think that's enough. Hitoka-chan looks like she's gonna lose her lunch anytime soon."

Upon hearing your senior's words, you immediately released Yachi who stumbled as she tried to find her balance with a sheepish look. "Sorry, Ya-chan. I guess I got too excited."

"It's okay, (nickname)-chan. I'm fine." Yachi replied, her head still spinning. 

Kiyoko stabled Yachi as she thought of something. Both of you and Yachi glanced at one another with curious looks when you two saw the thoughtful look on your senior's face. 

"What do you think is Kiyoko-senpai thinking about?" You asked. 

"I have no clue." Yachi shook her head in reply. 

"Hitoka-chan, (name)-chan, what are you two doing after school today?" Kiyoko asked as she waits patiently for both your answers. 

"Me? I'm most likely going home to get ready for the festival." You replied with a slightly confused look on your face. 

Yachi nodded her head in agreement. Kiyoko's mouth lifted into a small smile as she lowered her voice so that the boys couldn't hear what she was saying. "How about coming to my house to get ready for the festival?"

Both yours and Yachi's eyes widened with excitement at the suggestion. Kiyoko went on, "You guys can go home first and put down your stuff before heading over to my place. Don't forget to bring along your _yukatas(1)_."

"Yes, ma'am!" Both you and Yachi saluted, causing Kiyoko to let out a chuckle. 

However, your (e/c) eyes dimmed when you realised that you don't have a _yukata_ that you can wear to the festival. Looks like you have to wear your ordinary clothes which won't bring out the full experience. Your mood darkened at that thought as your shoulder slumped, a frown present on your face. 

Kiyoko and Yachi glanced at you and back to one another when they saw you seating in one dark corner growing mushrooms again, a dark cloud over your head. Kiyoko approached you with concern, asking, "You seem upset, (name)-chan. What's the matter?"

You turned to face the black-haired beauty with a sadness in your eyes, your mouth wobbling as you sniffed, trying not to cry. "Kiyoko-senpai...I don't have a _yukata_ to wear to the festival. Now, I'll not be able to experience the true meaning of summer festival."

Kiyoko's face softened as she patted you gently on the head, reassuring you. "Don't worry, (name)-chan. I have some _yukatas_ that are too small for me to wear, I can lend them to you."

Your face brightened up as you wrapped your arms around Kiyoko, thanking her. "Thank you, senpai! You're so kind!"

"You're welcome, (name)-chan." Kiyoko softly replied as she returned your hug, a small smile on her face. 

Yachi clapped her hands in glee as she joined in the group hug, a huge smile on her face. "Yay!"

Some of the Karasuno's boys watched with curiosity while the rest watched with blushes on their faces, awe shining in their eyes at the sight of their females teammates hugging and laughing with one another. Flowers were literally spewing out from the three girls as one thought crossed all the boys' minds. 

'We're blessed to have them on our team.'

"Ryuu, Kiyoko-san is laughing and smiling," Nishinoya said with hearts in his eyes at the sight of the usually stoic black-haired manager. 

"Noya-san, the gods are blessing us today. Thank you, _Kami-sama(2)_." Tanaka clasped his hands together as he turned his head to the heavens, giving thanks to the gods. 

Tsukishima watched with opened mouth, his cheeks pinking at the sight of the girl he loves who was glowing ever so brightly. The first-year felt his heartbeat spiking and butterflies danced in his stomach when you send a bright smile his way, your (e/c) eyes lighting up with joy. 

At that moment, Tsukishima thought you looked beautiful. 

"Tsukishima, flies are going to build their homes in your mouth if you don't close it." Suga casually commented, causing Tsukishima to snap out of his daydream. 

Tsukishima's face burst into a brilliant red when he realised he was caught staring at you like a lovesick puppy by his senior. He pushed up his glasses as he replied, trying to hide the fact that he was embarrassed. "What are you talking about Suga-san? I wasn't staring at munchkin. I definitely do not think that she looks beautiful at all."

Suga smirked when he saw the blonde's golden eyes widened in horror at what he just said. It was obvious that the first-year was more smitten than he lets on. "So, (name)-chan looks beautiful huh. I guess that's one way you can put it."

"No! You get it all wrong!" Tsukishima defended himself, feeling flustered. 

Suga patted Tsukishima on the back as he teased him endlessly. "Tsukishima, just let it all out. I wouldn't judge."

Tsukishima became more flustered as minutes passed, completely defenceless against his vice-captain teasing. He let out a groan and buried his face in his hands, his cheeks still bright red. 

Today was not his day at all. 

***

"Pardon the intrusion." Both you and Yachi said as both of you removed your shoes, placing them neatly next to Kiyoko's ones. 

"You guys can head into my room first. I'll be there shortly after I get some snacks and drinks for us. My room is at the end of the hallway." Kiyoko gave you two a smile before entering the kitchen.  

Yachi and you walked up the stairs, looking forward to the festival. You guys took a seat on the floor, Kiyoko joining not long after. She placed the tray on the table, smiling, "Help yourself while I look for (name)-chan's _yukata_."

"Thank you, Kiyoko-senpai!" 

You took a bite out of the sandwich as you faced Yachi, saying. "Ya-chan, how does your _yukata_ looks like?"

Yachi dug into her bag before retrieving a smaller bag containing her _yukata_. You watched with curious eyes as she took out her _yukata_ and displayed it to you. "Here, this is my _yukata_."

Your (e/c) eyes shone as you took in the _yukata_. It was a black _yukata_ with simple leaves colored orange, the _obi(3)_ was in light pink. You faced Yachi as you exclaimed with awe, "It's such a pretty _yukata_ , Ya-chan! Where did you get it from?"

Yachi blushed as she admired the _yukata_ with fondness, softly saying, "My grandmother made it for me years ago."

You smiled as you replied, "She must have loved you very much."

Yachi and you exchanged smiles as Kiyoko approached you and handed you your _yukata_. "Here, (name)-chan. I hope you like it."

You took the _yukata_ from Kiyoko's hands and unfold it gently. Your eyes widened in awe and surprise at the sight of the _yukata_. It was black in color, decorated with all sorts of flowers in various shade of pink. You felt tears welling in your eyes as you whispered, "It's beautiful."

You turned to Kiyoko with tearful eyes and smiled in gratitude. "Thank you, Kiyoko-chan. I love it."

Kiyoko smiled in return. Yachi clapped her hands as she cheerfully said, "Now that (nickname)-chan has a _yukata_ , let's get ready!"

For the next two hours, the three of you got ready for the summer festival. The room was filled with laughter and chatters as all three have a fun time helping one another to get ready. You smiled as you watched Kiyoko doing Yachi's hair while the young one talked about school. 

You were happy that you get to be friends with such kind people.

***

You turned around in a circle slowly, being careful that you didn't trip and dirtied Kiyoko's _yukata_. Your (e/c) eyes widen in awe as you took in the sight and sounds surrounding you. 

Lanterns were strung throughout the shrine, lighting up the entire place like giant fireflies. Laughter and chatter could be heard filling the air as people of all ages enjoyed what the festival has to offer them. 

Children were running around, while their parents walked behind them to ensure that their kids wouldn't get lost. Teenagers could be seen in beautiful _yukatas_ as they played festivals games with their friends. The older generation was just walking around, reminiscing their younger days.

You couldn't believe that you get to experience such a magical event, nonetheless with your closest friends. As you, Yachi and Kiyoko approached the shrine's entrance, you saw the Karasuno's boys waiting for all three of you. 

"Kiyoko-san, you looked beautiful in your _yukata_!" Tanaka and Nishinoya complimented the beauty third-year with hearts shining in their eyes. 

Kiyoko blushed lightly as she gave them a shy smile, not used to being complimented. The two boys fainted as arrows shot their hearts, their souls flying to heaven. You let out a chuckle as you glanced at your friends. Everyone was donned in the traditional male _yukatas_ and you have to admit they all looked quite handsome. 

Asahi was dressed in a brown _yukata_ , Daichi in a plain maroon one and Suga was donned in a yellow _yukata_ with stripes. Meanwhile, the second years were also in similar _yukatas_ as their upperclassmen, except Nishinoya and Tanaka who were both dressed in a white and blue patterned _yukatas_ respectively. 

Your fellow first years were also dressed in their finest. Hinata was dressed in a coloured polka dots navy _yukata_ , Kageyama's _yukata_ was patterned in white and blue checkers and Yamaguchi was dressed in a sky blue _yukata_ patterned with tiny clouds. 

You shifted your attention to Tsukishima who was dressed in a simple black _yukata_ , a white _obi_ holding it in place. Although the blond's _yukata_ doesn't stand out from the rest, for some reasons, you were enraptured by him. 

Tonight, Tsukishima Kei looked very handsome. 

'I mean, he usually looks handsome. It's just that tonight he looks even more handsome than ever.' You bit your lips thoughtfully, a light blush dusting your cheeks. 

Tsukishima was standing at the entrance of the shrine along with his teammates who were making such loud noises with a bored look. The middle blocker rather be at home than here, thinking, 'This is such a waste of my time.'

However deep down, Tsukishima was feeling nervous while everyone waited for the girls to arrive. He can't help but wondered how you'll look like in a _yukata_. So, when Tsukishima caught sight of the three of you, his golden eyes immediately searched for you. 

Let's just say the first-year nearly had a heart attack when his golden eyes landed on you. 

Tsukishima's eyes widen in shock at the sight of you. Your _yukata_ brought out the (e/c) in your eyes that were shining with awe and excitement as you took in the sight of the festival. Your (e/c) hair that was tied up into a messy bun with a flower pin attached to it glowed under the lanterns, some of your loose hair framing your face gently. 

However, the moment you smiled at him with a bright smile that light up your entire face, Tsukishima knew that he was a goner. Swallowing the lump that seemed to be stuck in his throat, he approached you with butterflies fluttering in his stomach. 

Tsukishima's heart nearly jumped out of his chest when you gave him a shy smile, (e/c) hues peeking out from under your eyelashes as you whispered his name like a melody, "Kei-kun."

"(name)..."

You shuddered as Tsukishima breathed out your name, causing your heart to skyrocket like crazy. The two of you were stuck in your own world as you two drank in the sight of each other. The background noises faded, replaced by the beating of both your hearts. Golden and (e/c) stared at one another with shyness, affection and fondness. You almost felt like drowning at the way how Tsukishima was staring at you with such raw emotions on display.

Your breath hitched as Tsukishima gave you a soft smile, tugging a loose strand of hair behind your ear as he complimented you. "You look absolutely breathtaking tonight, munchkin."

Your heart was bursting with emotions as your brain screamed at you to snap out of it before it's too late. 

_**Sometimes all you need to do is feel with your heart and not think with your brain.** _

You calmed down immediately as Suga's words came to mind. You took a deep breath as you decide to take Suga's words to heart. 'Tonight, I'm gonna feel with my heart and not think with my brain.'

Ignoring the blush that was visible on your face, you glanced up at Tsukishima with a soft smile. "Thank you, Kei-kun. You look handsome tonight."

Tsukishima felt his face grows hot at your words as he turned away from you, not wanting you to see that your words affected him. "N-No one asked." 

You giggled at the tsundere standing before you as you shook your head, a giant smile threatening to split your face in half. 

"Alright, now that the girls are here, let us enjoy the festival!" Daichi shouted with everyone echoing in agreements. 

The team broke into smaller groups as everyone headed into the shrine to enjoy the festival, promising to meet by the tall tree at the back of the shrine to watch the fireworks display later on. 

You watched as your friends dispersed, blending into the crowds. You turned to look for a certain ball of sunshine and blueberry to ask if they wanted to explore with you, only to realize that they were gone. You head turned left and right to look for your friends but to be only met with unfamiliar faces. 

You stood there in horror as one thought crossed your mind, 'I'm lost!'

You began to panic at the thought of being left all alone in a crowded place that you were unfamiliar with. This was the worst thing to ever happen to you and you felt like crying even before you could enjoy the festival. 

You didn't want to move and looked for the team, knowing that you will get even more lost thanks to your terrible sense of direction. 

"What are you standing there for Munchkin? Everyone already left to go and enjoy the festival. How are you gonna enjoy the festival if you're just gonna stand there like an idiot?" 

You left out a breath of relief when you heard Tsukishima's annoying voice coming from behind you. You turned around and saw Tsukishima standing there with his arms crossed, a slight frown on his face. 

Tsukishima approached you with a concerned look on his face when he noticed that your eyes were glossy, as though you were about to cry. "You look like you're about to cry."

You let out a laugh as you wiped away the tears gathering in your eyes with the sleeve of your _yukata_. "Thanks for stating the obvious, Captain Obvious."

Tsukishima rolled his eyes as he pulled into you a hug, his arms wrapped around you. "You thought you were lost right?"

You nodded your head in reply as you buried your head into Tsukishima's chest, taking in his scent which calmed you down immediately. Tsukishima stroked your hair as the two of you stood there in the middle of the crowd. 

A few minutes passed before you pulled slightly away from Tsuksihima and glanced up at him, asking curiously, "What are you doing here? I thought you left with Yamaguchi."

"Yamaguchi went off with Hinata and Kageyama to ensure they wouldn't cause any trouble. I decided to go with you, knowing that you'll get lost. Looks like I make the right decision to stay back." Tsukishima gave you a smirk. 

You hit Tsukishima on the chest and glared at him as you retorted, "Stupid string bean."

"Yea, yea. We should get going before it got too late. After all, it's been a while since you went to a festival right?" Tsukishima asked, his golden eyes staring back at you with an unknown emotion. 

You looked at Tsukishima with curiosity, wanting to ask why was he looking at you like that. However, you pushed the question away when Tsukishima raised a brow, silently asking what are you looking at. 

You shook your head and gave the male a smile, saying, "Nothing. So, where should we head off to first?"

Tsukishima narrowed his eyes slightly before walking off into the crowd, leaving you behind. Not wanting to be left alone again, you hitched your _yukata_ up as you chased after the megane. "Kei-kun, wait for me."

Tsukishima continued walking as he ignored you, the distance growing between you two. You tried to run after the middle blocker, hoping you can catch up to him. Unfortunately, it wasn't easy to walk in a _yukata_ , let alone run in one. 

Suddenly, your right foot got caught on a loose tile and caused you to lose your balance. Your eyes widen as you let out a yelp, knowing that you were gonna kissed the floor. Today was so not your day. 

Instead of coming in contact with the floor, you were caught in mid fall. You glanced down at the arms curled around your waist before following it until you met the eyes of its owner. Golden orbs stared back at you with fear and anger. 

Tsukishima plants you on your feet, his arms still wrapped tightly around your waist. With an angry look on his face, Tsukishima exclaimed, "What were you thinking? You nearly kissed the floor!"

You shrunk back in fear as you lowered your head, your voice trembling as you apologized. "Sorry."

Tsukishima sighed as he unwrapped his arms from around your waist, muttering, "What am I gonna do with you?" before grabbing your hand and began to make his way through the crowd, pulling you gently along. 

You glanced at the hand clasping your right hand, slender fingers entwined with yours before looking up at Tsukishima whose back was facing yours. 

"Kei-kun, why are you holding my hand so tightly? You asked curiously. 

"..."

"Kei-kun?"

"Don't get the wrong idea! I'm holding your hand so that you wouldn't get lost or fall down again, you clumsy idiot." came the reply from a flustered Tsukishima. 

You blinked once, twice before breaking out into a smile when you saw red ears peeking out from under blond hair. You tightened your hold on Tsukishima's hand as you cheerfully said, "Thank you, Kei-kun!"

Silence enveloped you two despite the loud noises from the festival filling the air. You were starting to think that Tsukishima was ignoring you when suddenly you heard him saying softly, "You're welcome, (name)."

You smile softly as your heart beat wildly and butterflies danced in your stomach, your cheeks pinking at the blond's words.

For the rest of the night, both you and Tsuksihima enjoyed the festival with one another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (1): a light cotton kimono
> 
> (2): gods
> 
> (3): a broad sash is worn around the waist of a Japanese kimono


	19. Part 2: Chapter 18b

"Kei-kun, look! That puppy is so cute!"

Tsukishima smiled as you held up the puppy in your hands, a giant grin on your face as (e/c) orbs shining with happiness stared back at him. The puppy let out a "woof" as it wagged his tails wildly from side to side, mirroring your joy. 

"I guess he is." Tsukishima softly replied as he ruffled your hair fondly. 

You blushed as you lowered the puppy, still not used to the affections Tsukishima have been showing you ever since the evening started. You turned away from the blond as you returned the puppy back to its owner, an old kind lady. 

The old lady gave you a toothless smile as she accepted her puppy back, laughing when it licked her on the cheek. Holding the puppy in her arms, she said knowingly, "You're a very lucky girl. You have such a caring boyfriend."

Your face burst into a brilliant red as you shake your head from side to side and corrected the old lady. "A-Ah! You got it all wrong! Kei-kun and I aren't like that all. We're just good friends!"

The old lady blinked as your words sink in before her eyes widen in realisation. She quickly apologised for her mistake. "Ah, I'm so sorry. I really thought he is your boyfriend at the way how he looks at you."

"It's fine." You reassured the old lady before going on when you realised what she said. "Huh? What do you mean by how the way Kei-kun look at me?"

"Oh dearie, you mean you even noticed the way how that young boy look at you before?" 

"Am I suppose to notice such things? He just looks at me the same way he looks at his friends."

"Ah, I see now." The old lady said mysteriously, her eyes twinkling with mischief despite her old age. 

You blinked in confusion, not understanding what the old lady was trying to tell you. Your head tilts to the side, the puppy copying your move as it let out a "woof". "I don't understand what are you saying, _Oba-san_?"

The old lady simply smiled as she answered cryptically, "In due time, you'll know."

With that as her parting words, the old lady left with her puppy. You stood there in the middle crowd, still as confused as ever as you tried to figure out the meaning behind her words. However, no matter how hard you racked your brain, you couldn't figure it out. 

"You look constipated."

You turned around when you heard Tsukishima's voice. Your eyes lit up when you noticed that in his hands were two tubs of takoyaki. With outstretched arms, you made grabby hands motion as you drooled at the sight of food. "Are those for me? I'm hungry."

Tsukishima gave you a disgusted look as he moved the takoyaki out of your reach, saying, "No, those are for me."

"You're gonna eat both tubs?" You asked. 

"Yes, I'm hungry that's why I bought two tubs for myself. Besides, who says I'm gonna spend money on you." Tsukishima replied smugly. 

Your heart broke as you watched Tsukishima placed a takoyaki in his mouth, ignoring the puppy eyes you were giving him. Your stomach grumbled loudly as Tsukishima hummed, "Mmm. This takoyaki is so delicious, it practically melts in your mouth."

You pouted as you crossed your arms and turned away from Tsukishima, mumbling, "Meanie."

Tsukishima chuckled at the pout on your face as you cursed him under your breath. Shaking his head at your childish behaviour, he handed one of the tubs to you with a small smile. "I am just kidding. Here's your share of the takoyaki."

Your face brightened as you took the tub from Tsukishima and stuffed a takoyaki into your mouth. You groaned as the takoyaki melts in your mouth, its flavour dancing on your tongue. "Oh my gosh! This is so good."

Tsukishima smiled, secretly delighted that you enjoyed the takoyaki. He knew that he said that he wouldn't spend money on you, but all in honesty, Tsukishima doesn't mind spoiling you from time to time. 

After all, you deserved all the love in the world. 

***   
For the rest of the night, you and Tsukishima explored the festivals together. You were happily eating some cotton candy as you were being let by Tsukishima to who knows where. It became an unspoken rule for Tsukishima to hold your hand whenever you guys were going from stall to stall. 

Your eyes wandered down to your and Tsukishima's entwined hands. Your smile softened when you realised how your hand looked like it's been swallowed Tsukishima's bigger hands in a good way. Whenever Tsukishima held your hands, you felt safe and warm. 

And those are the best kind of feelings in the world. 

Your (e/c) eyes wandered around as you looked from stall to stall. There were stalls that sell food, the delicious smell of cooked food wafting through the air. Some stalls sell trinkets or little gifts while some were just games for the little ones to play. 

Your eyes widened in glee when they landed on a dinosaur plushie that looks exactly like the one that Tsukishima has in his bedroom. Unknowingly, you tightened your hold on Tsukishima's hand as you began to drag him through the crowd. 

Tsukishima nearly fell forward when you tugged his hand and dragged him through the crowd. "(name), please slow down. I'm gonna fall at this rate."

However, Tsukishima's words fell on death ears as you continued weaving through the crowd with ease, dragging the tall male along who was bend in half awkwardly due to the vast height difference between you two. 

You finally released Tsukishima once you reached your desired destination. The first-year straightened his body as he smoothed out the wrinkles in his yukata, sending you a glare. However, you missed his glare as your attention was focused on an object in front of you. Out of curiosity, Tsukishima followed your gaze, wondering what were you staring at. 

A fond smile found its way onto his face when he realised that you were staring at a dinosaur plushie with delight and eagerness. Tsukishima found it really endearing that you wanted to have a dinosaur plushie that looked similar to the one he owed. 

"Kei-kun! Kei-kun! I want that triceratops plushie! It looks like the one that you have." You faced Tsukishima as you began to bounce up and down, a child-like expression on your face. 

Nodding, Tsukishima turned his attention to the owner manning the game stall, asking, "Excuse me, sir. How much is a game?"

"That'll be 100 yen, young lad." The owner replied with a friendly tone. 

Tsukishima nodded his head in thanks as he dug through his drawstring bag, looking for a 100 yen coin. Your eyes widened in disbelief when you realised that Tsukishima was going to pay for you. 

You grabbed the male's arm, preventing him from moving as you quickly stopped him. "Kei-kun, what are you doing? I can pay for the game myself. After all, it is I who wants the plushie."

Not wanting you to know his real motive of wanting to spoil you, Tsukishima lied. "If you're to play the game, you will just miss all the targets and not win the prize. I also don't want to deal with your whining and crying."

"I'm a libero and missing my target is not in my blood." You protested, feeling slightly offended

The middle blocker rolled his eyes as he hit you lightly on the head, saying, "This isn't volleyball, genius. It's a game where you throw darts at the balloons to pop it."

"Still it doesn't change the fact that I don't miss my targets." 

"Yet, you always miss me whenever you're throwing objects at me." Tsukishima deadpanned. 

"It's only one time!" You protested. 

"In addition, you also miss whenever you try to hit me." Tsukishima raised a brow as he went on. 

You opened and closed your mouth like a fish, not knowing how to respond. He does have a point there and no matter how hard you tried, you can't think of any excuse to defend yourself. You gave Tsukishima a pout, not happy that he won the argument this time round. 

Tsukishima smirked at the fact that he won as you glared at him and said, "I'll let it slide this time round. Next time, I'm gonna go down so easily without a fight."

The blond male rolled his eyes as he paid the stall owner who handed him the darts and wished him good luck. Tsukishima's eyes narrowed in concentration at the colourful balloons. He took a deep breath, lifted his hand and aimed the dart at the balloons. 

You watched with bated breath as your eyes followed the dart. With fingers crossed, you closed your eyes and prayed to the gods that the dart wouldn't miss its target. You really wanted the dinosaur plushie. 

Pop!

Your eyes flew open as you heard the sound of balloons popping. Within one minute, Tsukishima managed to pop all balloons with his accurate aims. Your (e/c) eyes lit up with child-like delight as you accepted the plushie from the stall owner. 

"Thank you, _Oji-san_!"

"You're welcome. You're a very lucky girl to have someone like him in your life." The stall owner replied before focusing on his other customers. 

You looked down at the Triceratops plushie in your hands, its black beady staring back up at you. You had a thoughtful look on your face as you try to figure out what the stall owner meant. First, it was your teammates, Michiko, the old lady with the puppy and now the stall owner. 

Why do they keep thinking that you and Tsukishima are more than friends?

"We're just friends, dinosaur-kun." You softly explained to dinosaur plushie in your hands. 

However, deep down, you knew that you were just convincing yourself that you and Tsukishima were friends and nothing more. Or at least that's what you keep telling yourself. Man, it is hard to feel with your heart and not think with your brain. 

"I find it creepy that you're talking to an inanimate object," Tsukishima commented out of nowhere and gave you a scare, causing you to snap out of your thoughts.  

You clutched your chest when your heart skipped a beat, no thanks to a certain string bean. Regaining your composure, you clutched your dinosaur plushie to your chest and glared at Tsukishima before turning your attention back to the toy in your arms. 

"It's alright, dinosaur-kun. Just ignore string bean." You cooed. 

"Stop that, it's disturbing."

You stuck your tongue out at Tsukishima as you replied, "No one asks you to comment."

The middle blocker rolled his eyes at your childish actions, muttering, "Why am I friends with you again?"

Your cheeks pinked as you smiled to yourself, thinking, 'This is the first I heard Kei-kun acknowledging that we're friends.'

"Do you like it?"

You lift your head up to stare at Tsukishima whose face was turned away from you, his ears reddening. You giggled when you realised that the tsundere first-year wanted to know if you like the plushie that he won for you, but was too embarrassed to face you.

With a soft smile, you glanced at your feet as you whispered, "Yeah, I love it. Thank you, Kei-kun."

Tsukishima pushed his glasses up, his cheeks a bright red colour as he stuttered, "W-whatever. Anyone can do it."

You shook your head in amusement as you glanced at the male who still refused to face you. 

_'But I'm glad you're the one who did it for me.'_

***

You and Tsukishima continued walking around the shrine just to kill time before meeting up with your teammates to watch the fireworks display. You glanced around with a bored look on your face, wondering what you can do next when something caught your eyes.

You released Tsukishima's hand as you approached closer to what looks like a bamboo tree with lots of papers attached to it. Tsukishima glanced down when he felt warmth leaving his right hand, realising that you had released it 

Feeling curious, Tsukishima followed after you to see what had caught your eyes. You felt the male's presence behind you, causing you to turn around to ask Tsukishima what was the bamboo tree for. 

"Ne, Kei-kun. Why are there so many papers attached to that bamboo tree? You can barely see the tree under all those papers."

Tsukishima glanced down at you with a smile as you peered up at him with big, wide (e/c) eyes shining with curiosity. He ruffled your hair gently, being careful not to mess up your bun. 

"That's a Tanabata tree, also known as 'evening of the seventh'."

"I see. But why are there so many papers attached to it?"

"Those papers contain wishes written by people. You take a strip of paper and write your wishes on it before attaching it to the stalk of the bamboo tree. Legend says that by doing so, the gods will make your wishes come true." Tsukishima explained. 

You stared at the bamboo tree standing tall and proud before you, the papers swaying gently in the breeze. You wondered what kind of wishes are being written on those papers. Do people wish for happiness for their loved ones or do they wish to find love in these busy world?

"Here." 

You turned your attention to Tsukishima who was holding out a strip of paper towards you. You looked at the paper, then Tsukishima and back to the paper. You accepted the paper as you turned it around to examine both sides, asking. "What's this for?"

The strip of paper looked like any ordinary paper, plain on both sides. 

"It's for you to write down your wishes and then attached it to the tree. I thought you might be interested in doing so." Tsukishima simply explained. 

You nodded your head as Tsukishima passed you a pen for you to write your wishes down on the paper. You tapped the pen against your head thoughtfully as you think of what wishes you want to write down. There were so many things that you can wish for, from good luck for your team winning the Spring Tournament to doing well for your upcoming math exam. 

Your (e/c) eyes widened when suddenly a wish came to mind. Your heartbeat quicken as butterflies exploded in your stomach at the thought of penning this wish down on the paper. You bit your lip in hesitation as you contemplate if you write down the wish or not. 

"What's taking you so long just to write down a few words on a piece of paper?"

You jumped as you failed your arms about, hiding the paper behind your back. You faced Tsukishima with a fake smile, hoping that he would be fooled by it. "K-Kei-kun, what's up!"

Tsukishima's golden eyes narrowed in suspicious at your strange behaviour, replying. "Why are you hiding the paper behind you?"

"N-Nothing..." You stammered as sweat began to drip down your face. 

You leant back as Tsukishima leant forward as your (e/c) eyes darting left and right, refusing to meet the middle blocker's intense golden orbs. Tsukishima's eyes roamed your face as he took in your expression. 

Your (e/c) eyes told him that you were nervous about something which Tsukishima didn't understand why. Your cheeks were bright red as you bit your lips, still refusing to meet the blond's eyes. You were hiding something from him. 

Tsukishima leant back and sighed, not bothering to ask knowing that you wouldn't answer him. His back faced you as the middle blocker approached the tree to attach his paper to its branches.

You breathed out in relief that Tsukishima chose not to question you any further. You looked at Tsukishima with curiosity as you observed him, saying, "I didn't know you were planning to write down your wished as well."

  
Tsukishima secured the knot so that his paper wouldn't fly off. The first-year straightened his body as his gaze remained on the tree, different colours staring back at him. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to participate for fun."

You nod your head in understanding as you quickly write down your wish before attaching it securely to the tree. Both you and Tsukishima faced the Tanabata tree and clasped both hands together, bowing slightly with eyes closed as you two prayed to the gods. 

Tsukishima straightened up as he took out his phone to check the time. "We should start heading to the tree to meet up with everyone. It's almost time anyway."

You nodded your head as your hand found its way to Tsukishima's hands, both your fingers entwining as the two of you made your way down the street. 

You swing both yours and Tsukishima's arms as you asked, "Ne, Kei-kun. Is there any story behind the Tanabata tree?"

Tsukishima kept his eyes forward as he tried to remember if there is a story behind it before replying, "If I remember correctly, there is a story behind it."

"Oooh, tell me the story!"

Tsukishima chuckled at your eagerness before going on, "According to legend, there once lived a beautiful princess named Orihime who was a seamstress. Since she worked so hard, she became sad and despaired of ever finding love. Her father, who was a God of the heavens, loved her dearly felt pained to see his child in pain. So, he arranged for Orihime to meet a cow herder named Hikoboshi who lived on the other side of the milky way."

He took a deep breath, before continuing. "The two instantly fell in love with one another and got married. Their love and devotion ran so deep that both of them neglected their works. Orihime's father became angry and forbade the lovers to be together, but Orihime pleaded with him to allow them to stay. Since her father loved her so dearly, he allowed the star-crossed lovers to meet once a year. However, they found the river to difficult to cross."

Tsukishima glanced down at you, wondering how will you react. To his surprise, he saw tears rolling down your face as you cried for the star-crossed lovers in the story. 

Your heart broke for the characters in the story, thinking how unfair the princess' father was. Tsukishima shook his head with a soft smile, thinking it was so typical of you to cry over such things. Bending down to your height, he lifted your head as he wiped away the tears with such gentleness that it surprised you. 

You glanced at Tsukishima who smiled at you, sending your heart into a frenzy. With a soft voice, Tsukishima said, "All hope isn't lost. A flock of magpies came and made a bridge, connecting the two star-crossed lovers. Now, they were able to meet every year on the seventh day of the seventh month."

Your sobs were reduced to sniffles as you hung onto every single word.The way he told the story was so breathtaking, making the story come to life. Tsukishima wiped away the rest of tears as he went on, his voice still as soft as ever. "That's why people write down wishes on those strips of papers, hoping that the star-crossed lovers will grant them."

"What did you wish for?" You asked curiously. 

Tsukishima's cheeks immediately redden as he straightened his body and taking your hand once more, led you down the busy street. You knew that he was avoiding your question as he kept quiet, his back facing you. 

You pouted as you tried one more time. "Come on, Kei-kun. Please tell me, I'm dying of curiosity here."

"Then die." came the dry reply. 

"I'll tell you what I wrote on mine if you tell me." You suggested hopefully, not even realising what you just said. 

"Why don't you tell me first?" Tsukishima fired back, looking at you from the corners of his eyes.

"Sure. I don't see why not. My wish is that I'll-" 

Tsukishima turned around with raised brows when he noticed that you didn't complete your sentence. To his surprise, your cheeks were a bright hue of red and your mouth was wide opened. "Are you okay? You looked like you have seen a ghost."

You snap out of it as you forced a laughter, saying, "I'm fine. I just recalled that you shouldn't tell other people your wishes or else they wouldn't come true."

Tsukishima shrugged as he faced forward once more, replying, "Okay. Anyway, we should be reaching the tree soon."

You didn't reply as you lowered your head, hiding your face from the middle blocker. You stared at your feet as you keep blaming yourself for being so careless. You almost blurted out what your wish was about! Imagine the horror if Tsukishima was to find out what your wish was about. 

You would just die in embarrassment. 

"(name), change of plans. Looks like the team decide not to meet up after all as it will be too late by the time they reach the tree. Daichi-san asks us to watch the fireworks display on our own if we still to."

You lifted your head up and saw Tsukishima checking his hand phone, most likely receiving a message from the captain. You took out your hand phone and checked the time, noticing that there's still enough time to make it to the tree before the fireworks start. 

Keeping your handphone, you said, "We still have enough time to make it to the tree if you still wanna watch the fireworks."

Tsukishima stood there not replying, a concentrated look on his face. You tilt your head curiously as you wondered what was going through the blond's head. Without saying anything, Tsukishima started walking as you followed along feeling confused. 

"The tree is the other way, Kei-kun. Where are we going? The fireworks are gonna start soon."

With his back facing you, Tsukishima simply answered. "I have another place in mind to watch the fireworks display. Just follow me."

Not really having a choice considering Tsukishima had a tight hold on your hand and it looks like he wouldn't be letting go of it anytime soon, you simply shrugged as Tsukishima led you. 

You just hope there's a place to sit down as your legs were dying after walking around for so long in these wooden shoes. 

***

**Third POV**

"Woah! This is such a beautiful place!" (name) exclaimed in awe as she runs ahead of Tsukishima, taking in the beautiful scenery.

"Oi, don't run or else you're gonna fall flat on your face. And I'm not gonna catch you this time round." Tsukishima warned as he trailed behind the (h/c)-haired girl. 

(name) was too happy to take Tsukishima's insults to heart as she spun around in circles. Stars were twinkling like fairies in the night sky as the moon bathed the earth in its warm glow. (name) and Tsukishima was currently at the top of a hill to watch the fireworks display. At the bottom of the hill was the festival and in the distance, (name) could see the giant tree where many people were gathered to watch the fireworks. 

Taking a seat next to Tsukishima, (name) turned around to face him. The blond male was lying down on his back, his hands behind his head with his eyes closed. (name) smiled softly when she noticed how peaceful Tsukishima looked. Gone was the usual smug smile as a contented smile replaced it, the male enjoying the silence.

Despite still being able to hear people coming from below the hill, it was still quite peaceful up here. (name) closed her eyes as she enjoyed the smell of nature, a gentle breeze passing through. 

"I come here often with my family when I was younger to watch the fireworks."

The libero opened her eyes, focusing on Tsukishima whose eyes were still closed. She waited for him to go on, but the male remained silent. Wanting to know more, (name) asked, "Is that why you brought us up here?"

Tsukishima opened one eye as he stared at her lazily, replying, "Yes."

Once again, silence returned as both teenagers remained quiet. (name) looked at Tsukishima as he stared back at her with those bright golden orbs of his. She could feel her heart pounding as intense gold looked passed her and into her soul. Emotions swirled in Tsukishima's eyes as he tried to convey feelings that he could never say out loud, hoping that (name) gets the message. 

The girl softly smiled, saying that she got what he was trying to tell her and scooted closer to him. Both their shoulders were inches apart as (name) hesitated, wondering if it was okay to move closer to Tsukishima. She didn't need to think for long as Tsukishima moved closer, the side of his body pressing up against hers. 

At first, (name) tensed at the close contact. But after a while, she began to relax and snuggled into the blond's side. It was just the two of them, (e/c) orbs staring up at golden orbs once more. 

In the distance, the crowd began to count down. The moment they reached three, loud whistles could be heard as fireworks shot into the sky before bursting into millions of colours. However, (name) and Tsukishima were too caught up in each other eyes to pay any attention to the fireworks. 

Tsukishima could feel his heart threatening to escape from his chest as (e/c) eyes stared up at him, the fireworks making them sparkle as her face glowed. He didn't dare to breathe or move, afraid that it would break the spell. This is the first time he has felt this vulnerable, especially in front of the girl he loved. 

Taking a deep breath, he opened his mouth...

(e/c) eyes widen when (name) saw Tsukishima's mouth moving, but not a single words could be heard as the loud explosion coming from the fireworks prevented her from hearing him. 

"What did you say? I can't hear you!"

Her voice tried to reach above the loud sounds, but it was still too loud. Tsukishima narrowed his eyes in frustration before leaning down to whisper into her ear, the soft scent in her hair brushing against his nose. 

Taking another deep breath by her ear and sending shivers down her spine. (name) froze, eyes wide. He whispered as his breath brushed against the shell of her ear. A loud explosion of the firework contrasting against his soft, calming tone as he spoke. 

"I wish that we'll be together forever."

(name) stiffened. She turned to him, mouth agape. Tsukishima looked right into her eyes, golden orbs glowing from the bright lights of the firework. 

The intensity of their staring made her fluttered and (name) couldn't tell if the loud deafening booms were coming from the fireworks or her heart. 

He had answered her question that she asked earlier on at the Tanabata tree. 

Tsukishima felt nervous bubbling within him as he searched her face for any reactions. However, it shocked him when she started laughing. Feeling confused, he asked, "What's so funny?"

(name) stopped laughing, turning to face him with a soft smile as she replied, "That is what I wished for when I wrote it down on the paper strip."

Tsukishima let out a chuckle as he placed his right hand on top of her left one, their fingers entwining. He placed his forehead against her as he looked into her eyes lovingly.

"I'm glad that you wished the same thing as I did. So, promise me that you'll stay by my side forever."

(name) closed her eyes as she lean in whispering, "I promise."

_"Looks like I have fallen for Tsukishima Kei."_


	20. A/N

Hey there everyone! 

After reading Chapter 18b, many of you have commented asking me if Tsukishima and Reader-chan are together or not. Some of you even thought that they're together already.  

Unfortunately, they're still not together. I'm so sorry for bursting your bubbles! Please don't kill me! *hides behind pillar to avoid all the rotten food being thrown at*

Reader-chan finally realizes her feelings for Tsukishima after denying them for so long. There's still a long way to go before they'll confess to one another. Up till stage, both Reader-chan and Tsukishima have feelings for one another without knowing that the opposite party return those feelings.  

When Tsukishima told Reader-chan to promise him that she'll stay by his side forever, he meant it as a friend (at least at this point for now). When Reader-chan promised that, she also meant it. In conclusion, when the two of them made the promise, they're saying that they'll be in one another's life till the end whether as a friend or a lover. 

This is what I meant when I wrote that scene. So, I apologize if I disappointed many of you. That wasn't my intention. So, please forgive me and continue to support me. I love reading all your lovely comments. They make my day whenever I read them! :)

I hope this clear the misunderstanding. Also, don't worry! I promise that Reader-chan and Tsukishima will end up together! 

Once again, I'm sorry. I love you all and I'll see you guys in the next chapter! 

Happy reading!   
Rainbend


	21. Part 2: Chapter 19

"Oh! Is that the Tokyo Tower?!"

Hinata's eyes lit up in excitement as he pointed to a transmission tower, thinking that it was Tokyo's famous Sky Tree. 

You laughed as Kenma replied with a bleak look on his face. "Huh? That's just a normal transmission tower."

"What the hell? Is there no transmission tower in Miyagi? Pretty sure I've heard that conversation before." Kuroo turned to Daichi with disbelief in his voice, pointing at the disappointment shown on Hinata's face. 

"The transmission towers in Tokyo all look like the Tokyo Tower to us country folks!" Daichi protested, trying to defend his pride. 

"Well, that isn't the case for me. I'm able to differentiate between a normal transmission tower and the Tokyo Tower." You cheekily winked as you dodged Daichi who was trying to hit you. 

"That's enough." Suga fixed both of you and Daichi with a warning glare. 

You hid behind Kuroo and stuck your tongue out at the seething captain. Kuroo simply laughed as he ruffled your hair while Asahi tried to calm Daichi down. 

"Hinata! Did you grow any taller?"

You perked up at the familiar voice of your Russian friend who you have missed very much. You ditched Kuroo and your teammates as you made a mad dash towards Lev.

"LEV!!!"

Lev's eyes lit up at the sight of you as he opened his arms wide, ready to receive you. You crashed full force into Lev who wrapped his arms around you and lifted you off the floor, swinging you around in circles. 

Meanwhile, Tsukishima watched you and Lev with a grimace, your laughter resounding throughout the court. Jealously bubbled within the tall middle blocker as he restrained himself from marching up to the gray-haired lion and tearing you right off from him. 

Suga laughed knowingly at the blonde who was glaring holes into the back of Lev's head. The vice captain walked up to Tsukishima, teasing him. "Tsukishima, you're doing it again. It's showing on your face."

Tsukishima jumped when he heard his senior's voice next to me, not expecting him at all as he was too busy plotting Lev's murder in his head. The blond cleared his throat as he pushed up his glasses and replied, "I better help Kiyoko-senpai to carry the items into the school."

With that, Tsukishima walked away as quickly as he could from Suga who was grinning at him in amusement. 

Meanwhile, you and Lev were just catching up with one another when Lev's face froze. You peered up at the middle blocker with curiosity, wondering what had caused him to suddenly freeze up. 

"Lev, are you feeling okay?"

Lev snapped out of it and glanced down at you before looking behind you. Whatever he has seen must have spooked the self-declared ace of Nekoma because he ran off, leaving you behind to wonder what the hell is wrong with him. 

"Ah! I got to go! I think Kenma-san is calling me, must be about spiking. Bye!"

You blinked your eyes as Lev ran off as fast as he could back to the school. You tilt your head to the side in confusion as you mumbled, "But Kenma is still here talking with Hinata."

"Munchkin-chan, stop standing there and come help me out."

You scowled as an annoyingly familiar voice came from behind you. You turned around to face Tsukishima who was glaring down at you, his golden eyes piercing into your (e/c) ones. 

"What do you want, saltyshima?" You smirked at the scowl directed at you, a look of displeased towards the nickname you have given him on Tsukishima's face.

Ignoring the smug look on your face, Tsukishima tried to hide the grim look on his face when he recalled the way how you and Lev interacted with one another. 

You noticed the sour look on Tsukishima's face, wondering what had caused him to feel that way. You nudged Tsukishima's side ~~harshly~~ gently, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Eh, you look constipated. You must have eaten something wrong on the way here."

Tsukishima pushed you away from him as he turned away from you, replying monotonously, "I came to tell you that you're supposed to help the managers to carry the items into the school. However, you were so busy flirting with that 'boyfriend' of yours, you seem to have forgotten about it."

You blinked your eyes in disbelief when you heard the bitterness in Tsukishima's voice. You weren't sure if that was jealousy that you detected. Wanting to test your theory, you moved so that you were facing Tsukishima's front. 

Tsukishima blinked in surprise when he saw you in front of him, but when he saw the grin on your face, he became suspicious. The blond narrowed his eyes at you as he cautiously asked, "What are you planning to do?"

You gave Tsukishima an "innocent" look as you began to question him. "Were you jealous that Lev and I were talking?"

Your grin widened when you saw golden orbs grew in shock as Tsukishima stopped functioning. (Tsukishima.exe is not working! I repeat Tsukishima.exe is not working!) Despite the glee shown on your face, your heart was thumping against your chest and secretly hoping that you were right. 

Meanwhile, Tsukishima has stopped functioning the moment you saw right through him. His mind began to panic as he tried to think of excuses, but alas he was failing. Tsukishima's cheeks reddened as he stammered out an answer. 

"W-what makes you think that I'm jealous whenever you talk to the Nekoma player? Why would I be jealous that besides me, he can make you smile so bright like the sun?"

You blinked a couple of times when you saw the dark look on Tsukishima's face. You swore that if you looked even harder, you can see dark clouds forming above the blond's head, the lightning threatening to electrode anyone who dares to come close. 

Tsukishima was still feeling bitter when suddenly what he said sank in. His golden eyes widen in horror at the fact that he just admitted that he was jealous of yours and Lev's relationship. The middle blocker tried to mask his embarrassment, however, his cheeks were resembling tomatoes. 

When you saw Tsukishima's bright red cheeks, a grin grew on your face. You decided this is the perfect moment to have your revenge on Tsukishima for all those time when he teases you.

Now, it's the best time to put your acting skills to action!

"If Lev is my actual boyfriend, that will be great." You muttered longingly, staring at Lev who was teasing Hinata about his height. 

Tsukishima's eyes widen when he heard you. He could feel jealousy and bitterness welling up in him when he saw the fond look in your (e/c) orbs that were directed at someone else other than him. 

'Munchkin should look at me fondly instead of that over-grown gray-haired half-Russian male.' Tsukishima thought bitterly. 

You hit your smirk out of sight when you saw the dark look on Tsukishima's face. Wanting to see how long this could play out, you continued to be in character. You should be awarded an Oscar Award for best acting skills of the century. 

Still, in character, you pretended that you came up with a brilliant idea as you turned to Tsukishima excitedly, saying. "Ne, ne, Kei-kun. If I am to confess my undying love to Lev, do you think that he'll accept it?"

By this point, Tsukishima was trembling in rage as he restrained himself from locking you up forever and out of sight.  Then again, you were never his, to begin with. So, what gave him the right to determine who you can date or not. 

If he ~~loves~~ like you, he knew that the right thing to do is to give up his happiness in order for you to be happy. After all, what matters most to the blond was your happiness. He would be fine as long as he can be in your life forever. 

Making up his mind, Tsukishima gave you a soft smile as he cradled your cheek in his hand. His eyes held such tenderness that you were captured by his words as he spoke. "I'm sure Lev-san will reciprocate your feelings. Even if he doesn't, I'm sure over time he will come to fall for you. After all, who wouldn't fall for such a beautiful and strong woman like you."

You could feel your cheeks burning as Tsukishima's words warm your heart, leaving you feeling breathless. Words couldn't form at all as you could hear your heart beating at thousand miles per hour, threatening to break free from within you. Beautiful golden orbs filled with raw emotions stared straight into your soul, leaving you enchanted and unable to move. 

Tsukishima chuckled lightly as he moved a stray piece of (h/c) strand out of your face. Your breath hitched as the blond leaned down next to your ear, his breath sending shivers down your spine. You shuddered as Tsukishima whispered, his voice soft as a lullaby. 

"Gotcha."

(e/c) orbs widened in realization when you finally figured it out that Tsukishima had caught on to your act and was just returning the favour. Your cheeks reddened - this time in anger and embarrassment as you clenched your fists. Tsukishima smirked as he straightened his body, taking in the sight of you trembling in rage despite your hair hiding your face. 

You couldn't believe that Tsukishima found out you were playing around with him and instead of exposing you, he continued to play along. Except this time round, you were the pawn in his game. You were not angry that the blond found out about your little ploy, it was the fact that he played with your feelings. His words and expressions allowed hope to grow within your heart that maybe, just maybe your feelings were being reciprocated even if it's a small percentage. 

Only for that hope to shatter which left you feeling disappointed. You were so stupid to believe that this sadistic asshole has a heart. Even if he does have one, it was stone cold - incapable of feelings.

Tears gathered in the corners of your (e/c) eyes as you tried not to cry. You refused to cry in front of Tsukishima as it would just mean that his words affected you. Tsukishima's eyes widen when he heard you sniffling, not expecting his words to bring you to tears. The middle blocker sighed as he placed his hand on your head and pulled you against his chest. You blinked your eyes in surprised at the sudden movement, wondering what just happened. 

"You know better than to take my words seriously. I thought we already established that from the start?" Tsukishima grumbled, his ears burning as he refuses to apologize directly.

You let out a laugh when you heard Tsukishima's poor attempt at apologizing. You wiped away your tears as you mumbled into his chest, "You suck at apologizing, you know that right?"

"S-shut up!" Tsukishima stammered as he released you, his back facing you instead. 

You laughed louder and your body bends into half as you clutched your stomach, tears forming in the corner of your eyes. "H-holy crap! Your tsundere side is so adorable."

"I'm not a tsundere!" Tsukishima hissed in denial. 

However, you continued to laugh non-stop. At this point, Tsukishima's eyes were twitching in irritation as he clenched his fists in anger. Having enough of it, the first year decided to do something about your non-stop laughter. 

"Hmph!"

Your laughter was suddenly cut off when you felt someone's lips on your face. Tsukishima's lips curled into a smirk as he straightened his body, feeling pleased when he saw your expression. Your entire face was red as you covered the lower half of your face, your eyes glaring daggers at Tsukishima.

"This will teach you from ever messing with me again," Tsukishima said as he took your hands and led you towards the school.

"Stupid string bean." You muttered under your breath, your face still red as you led Tsukishima to guide you.

Although it was just a simple peck on the lips, butterflies were dancing in your stomach. You glanced to your hand that was connected with Tsukishima, a small smile appearing on your face as you tightened your hold. Warmth filled you when Tsukishima returned the gesture by twining his fingers with yours. 

You decided from that day onwards that you'll never hold anyone else's hand anymore. 

Meanwhile...

"Does this always happen back in Miyagi?" Kuroo asked curiously as he stared at the exchange between Karasuno's two tsundere volleyball players. 

"Yeah, it happens all the time," Daichi replied in amusement as he watched his vice-captain take pictures of their underclassmen at the speed of lightning. 

"Oh my god! This is too precious. I need more pictures of my baby crows." Suga muttered to himself like a mad man as he took endless pictures of Tsukishima and you. 

***

"We're gonna switch out members constantly this time round, so be prepared." Your brother instructed. 

"All right!" Karasuno's team shouted in agreement before getting ready for the first match of the day. 

Keishin turned to face his younger sister who was bouncing up and down in excitement at the fact that she could play volleyball again. Karasuno's coach laughed as he ruffled your hair, saying, "Are you ready?"

You giggled at your older brother's action before replying, "Of course! I haven't played volleyball in a long time."

Keishin let out a hearty laugh, saying. "Good! Good! Now, show them what you got."

"Yes, sir!" You saluted before jogging to the rest of the team. 

Hearing footsteps heading in their direction, Karasuno's team lifted their heads and grinned at the sight of their assistant coach. You placed your hands on your hips, a huge grin on your face as you exclaimed. "Let's show them all the hard work we put into training!"

"Karasuno....FIGHT!" Everyone cheered before heading to the court where they faced their first opponent of the day - Fukurodani.

"Let's try for no penalties!" Bokuto shouted, his arms crossed with a smirk on his face. 

With that, the whistle blew and the match began. 

 ***

"Hmm, splendid. They're splendidly not in synch at all." Nekomata, the coach of Nekoma commented with an amused smile on his face. 

You sighed for the umpteenth time as your teammates kept messing up. First, Hinata missed Kageyama's toss. Now, Suga and the rest of the players messed up their synchronized attack. At this rate that your team is going, Fukurodani is going to win the first match easily. 

You shook your head as you returned your focus back to the ongoing match, now it isn't the right time to ponder over your friends' mistakes. Your eyes followed the ball as Suga received it, shouting "Sorry! Cover!" You were about to do the libero toss when suddenly Nishinoya ran after the ball, shouting confidently, "Leave it to me!"

Your eyes widened in surprise as the second-year took a leap into the air, his arms raised up... 

Only to realize that he has jumped too far, failing to toss the ball. You face-palmed as the libero stood there with an embarrassed look, Bokuto teasing him. What is wrong with your team today?! You took a look at the score board - 12 to 24 with Fukurodani in the lead. Something needs to be done or else your team is going to lose at this rate. 

You decided this is the best time to try out your new move. 

"Kageyama." You called the setter's name, hoping to get his attention. 

The blue-haired setter turned his head around when he heard his teammate calling his name. You did the "come here" action with your hand, motioning Kageyama to come. Kageyama walked towards you with a confused look on his face, asking, "What's the matter, (name)-chan?"

You glanced around to make sure that no one is listening before facing Kageyama, your voice barely a whisper. "It's time for that thing."

"What thing?" Kageyama furrowed his eyebrows, still not understanding what you're trying to tell him. 

You sighed before explaining yourself, hoping that the tall first-year will get it this time round. "You know, the thing that we have been practising in secret?"

You waited patiently for the words to sink into Kageyama's brain who still looked like a lost sheep. However, his eyes widened in recognition when he finally knew what you were talking about. With an equally quiet voice, he said, "Do you mean the thing that we did after everyone has left?"

"Yes, that thing." You nodded your head. 

Meanwhile, everyone watched their assistant coach and genius setter interaction with curious looks, wondering what were you two talking about. Daichi furrowed his brows in confusion as he asked Suga, hoping that he might have an answer as to what was going on. "Suga, do you have any idea what Kageyama and (name) are talking about?"

"No, I don't have a single clue." Suga shook his head in reply. 

"You got it now, Kageyama?" You asked Kageyama who nodded his head. 

"All I have to do is to toss the ball like I usually do with Hinata right?"

"Yeap!" You grinned and raised your hand for a high-five, Kageyama hitting it eagerly. 

The whistle blew as the game resumed with Tsukishima as the server. 

"Nice serve, Kei-kun!" You shouted, a huge smile on your face as you cheered the middle blocker on. 

"Shut up," Tsukishima mumbled, his cheeks slightly pink. 

"Aww, are you embarrassed?" You cooed in delight, causing Tsukishima's blush to deepen. 

"Do you want me to score or miss?" Tsukishima hissed, noticing the way how his teammates were snickering at him. 

Tsukishima ignored his surrounding as he took a deep breath, his eyes focused on where he wants the ball to go. The first-year tossed the ball into the air, his arm reached back and ready to hit it, only to falter when he heard what you said. 

"I love you, Kei-kun!" Your grin widen in glee when you observed how Tsukishima faltered slightly, but managing not to mess up his serve. 

Tsukishima ran into the court, taking his place next to you as he glared at you, hissing, "I nearly missed the ball, no thanks to you."

"You're welcome." You practically sang, ignoring the angry stare send your way by none other than Daichi. 

"Relax, Daichi. I got this." You reassured your captain, your (e/c) eyes following after the ball. 

You counted under your breath as you wait for Kageyama's signal, adrenaline coursing through your blood. Your hand itched to spike the ball as Kageyama shook his head, telling you that it wasn't time yet as he tossed the ball towards Asahi which was blocked by the opposite team. 

Nishinoya managed to save the ball as he hit back into the air, shouting, "Sorry, cover!"

Hinata was ready to call for the toss when he heard you shouting, "Kageyama, now!"

"Hai!" Kageyama replied, running towards where the ball was as you ran towards the back of the court. 

"Is (name)-chan gonna spike the ball from the back?" Hinata asked in confusion, voicing everyone's inner thoughts. 

However, before anyone could reply to Hinata's question, the whistle blew as you scored a point. You let out a huge cheer as you ran towards Kageyama with your hands raised in the air for a double high-five which the setter returned awkwardly. "We did it, Kageyama! We did it!"

Kageyama smiled as he watched you danced around excitedly in circles, going on and on about how awesome and cool the move was. Meanwhile, the entire gym was stunned into silence, not able to comprehend what just happened. 

However, Hinata was the first one to break the silence as he shouted, his face glowing with excitement and awe. "(nickname)-chan! That was so cool! Kageyama went _wham_ , then you went _swoosh_ and then _bam_!" 

You nodded your head quickly, looking like a bobblehead as you and Hinata jumped up and down, excited chatters filling the quiet gym. Everyone was still trying to let what just happened to sink in. Apparently, you managed to spike Kageyama's infamous "king's toss" from the back of the court. What made it even more shocking was the fact that your body wasn't facing Kageyama when he tossed the ball in your direction. Instead, you were able to tell when the ball was coming since you managed to turn your body at the right amount and spiked the ball effortlessly. 

You turned to look at your brother who was laughing heartily at everyone's reaction towards your unexpected actions. You grinned in delight that you managed to stun everyone into silence and shock, even Bokuto who was the top fifth ace in Japan. But then again, you were once part of Russia's Youth World girls team. So, no surprise if you could pull off a move like that. 

You faced everyone with your hands on your hips and your head held high as you grinned widely. "And that my friends, is how you spike a ball."

The first one to break out of their frozen state was your team, Karasuno as they approached you with excitement and awe on their faces. They began to surround you and Kageyama as they shoot question after question, asking when did you two come up with this awesome play. 

Soon enough, all schools began to talk among themselves about the impossible move. You were beaming as you observed the excitement and eagerness you have managed to instil in the gym. This time round as the matches resumed, all schools were determined to show their best. 

After all, they are not gonna let a girl outplay them. 

***

The whistle blew as the match came to an end. Unfortunately, Karasuno lost the match to Fukurodani, which means it's time for the penalty. You stood in front of a hill that seems to go on forever as Daichi explained what the penalty is gonna be for this training camp. 

"The penalty this time is Shinzen's special 'refreshing sprint up the grassy hill' apparently. Now, let's get into position."

Everyone got into position before Daichi clapped his hands together, giving the start signal. "All right. Ready...go!"

The moment he said "go", the team took off and ran up the grassy hill. Meanwhile, excitement was shining in your (e/c) orbs as you threw your arms into the air and ran as fast as your legs could carry you. 

"Wheeeeeeee!" You cheered as you ran past your teammates who stared at you with disbelief, wondering how can you find enjoyment in running up a hill. Even Hinata, who usually was full of energy was struggling to run up the hill. In fact, you were the first to reach the top and back down the hill, and not even looking tired at all despite playing a full-on match earlier on. 

"Again!" You cheerful exclaimed as you watched your friends catch their breath while trying not to collapse. 

Daichi glared at you as he accepted a water bottle from Yachi and took a huge gulp before saying, "How do you even find joy in running up and down a hill and not look tired at all? You must be crazy."

"But it's really fun. The hill that I ran in Russia is three times the height." You pouted, slightly upset that Daichi ruined your fun. 

"That's a freaking mountain already!" Daichi exclaimed. 

"Still..."

"Haiz, if you really want, you can run up the hill." Daichi sighed, knowing that there's no point arguing with you.

Your eyes lit up in joy as you thanked your captain before dashing up for the hill, your arms spread wide as you enjoyed the summer breeze blowing against your face. Your friends watched from below with smiles on their faces, feeling refreshed at the sight of your childishness. 

Later that night...

"We amazingly lost all our games." Suga sighed, his back resting against the grass. 

"It's actually sort of refreshing." Daichi chuckled as he laid eagle-spread style on his back. 

Meanwhile, Tanaka who was lying flat on his face with his limbs outstretched in all four directions, mumbled into the grass.  "I haven't done that many sprints since Coach Ukai were coaching."

You peered down at your upperclassmen, along with Asahi who were all lying dead on the grass, too tired to move after a long day of training. You pulled on Daichi's leg as you attempted to move the third year who was too heavy to budge. 

"Come on, Daichi. We don't have time to waste. We need to practice more or else we wouldn't catch up with the rest of the schools." You panted as you pulled onto the captain's leg with all your might, but simply failing. 

"(name)-chan, please let me rest. I'm tired. How do you still have so much energy?" Daichi complained as lifted his head slightly off the ground to stare at you. 

You crossed your arms as you gave your captain a pointed look, replying, "I thought you're the captain, which means you should be asking your team to practice and not lay there on the ground like dead people."

Daichi dropped his head back as he groaned, "Just leave us be, (nickname)-chan. Go find someone else to bother."

"Why did Grandpa chose you as the captain if you're not setting an example for your team?" You grumbled under your breath as you entered the gym, leaving the four of them to rot there. 

"I heard that!" 

You giggled as Daichi shouted after you. Once you entered the gym, you glanced around to look for a certain blond. When your eyes landed on Tsukishima, your face lit up as you skipped towards him.

"Kei-kun~ Wanna practice with me?"

Tsukishima's head lift up when he heard your voice coming from behind him. He turned around to face you and was about to reply when Yamaguchi's voice came out of nowhere. "Ah, Tsukki, (name)-chan! I'm gonna hit some serves. Would you-"

"I'm gonna take a bath and go to bed." The blond immediately cut Yamaguchi off, waving his hands uninterestedly. 

"I-I see. Um..." The green-haired boy trailed off, not knowing how to respond.  

"What?" Tsukishima asked as you glanced at Yamaguchi who looks like he has something to say. 

"I was just wondering if you were gonna practice anything on your own," Yamaguchi replied while scratching the side of his cheek, hoping that he will still be able to join his childhood friend in practising. 

"We've already been practising more than anyone wants. Going all out in practice isn't gonna solve everything." Tsukishima immediately replied and without waiting for any reply, he just walked off. 

"Right, that's true. But.." Yamaguchi trailed off once more, feeling disappointed. 

You glanced at Tsukishima's retreating back with furrowed eyebrows, wondering what's wrong with him? He shouldn't talk to Yamaguchi with that disinterested tone of his. Besides, it wouldn't hurt to practice a bit more. After all, practice makes perfect!

You turned to face Yamaguchi who stood there, not knowing what to do. It hurts you to see Yamaguchi looking so down in the dumps, knowing that he's already not very good in volleyball.

"Yamaguchi," You called the green haired's boy who lifted his head to look at you and once you were sure he was listening, you went on, "Don't worry about Kei-kun. I'll go talk to him. Meanwhile, you can ask Asahi or someone else to practice your serves with. I'll be right back."

With that, you took off after the middle blocker even before Yamaguchi could reply. 

Yamaguchi smiled to himself, glad that Tsukishima had another friend who cared for him other than him.

***

Tsukishima was walking down the walkway, heading to the bathroom to take a bath before calling it a night. However, he was stopped by a voice calling for his attention. "Oh, hey, you, Karasuno! You with the glasses!" 

He turned around to see who was calling for him when he saw the captains of Nekoma and Fukurodani standing at the entrance of the third gym. When Kuroo realized that he had caught Karasuno's middle blocker's attention, he continued. "Would you jump some blocks for us?"

Tsukishima simply stared at the cat captain with calculating looks before replying, a fake smile on his face. "Oh, I'm actually done for the night. If you'll excuse me."

Tsukishima bowed as the two third-years let out a shock "what". Bokuto, not liking the blond's answers, spoke as he leaned against the side of the door. "There's no point in practising spikes without a blocker! Come on!"

Tsukishima straightened his body as he asked, the fake smile replaced by his usual blank look. "Why does it have to be me? Why not someone from Fukurodani?"

"There's no limit to Bokuto-san's spiking practice, so everyone runs away quickly." Came Fukurodani's setter's reply who walked over to see what the commotion was about.

"I'm too busy whipping this guy into shape." Kuroo pointed to Lev who was lying on the floor, too dead to move. 

"I said I'd jump some blocks!" Lev's replied, lifting his head off the ground. 

"Shut up!" Kuroo shouted, going on. "If you want to continue as a regular on Nekoma's team, you need to be able to actually receive  the ball!" 

Tsukishima watched with a blank look as Kuroo continued to scold Lev who simply whinnied in complaint before turning his attention back to Tsukishima again. He pointed to Bokuto and said, "He may not look like it, but this guy's one of the top five spikers in the country, so it'll be a great practice."

Bokuto straightened his body with his arms crossed, a pride grin on his face at Kuroo's words. However, that grin faltered as Tsukishima replied back. "So, he somehow didn't make into the top three, huh?"

"Don't mind." 

"Don't raise me up just to let me get knocked again!"

Kuroo ignored Bokuto as he faced Tsukishima with a sideway glance, a smirk on his face as he said something that riled up Tsukishima. "Besides, if you're a middle blocker, you should practice your blocking a bit more."

Irk marks appeared on Tsukishima's forehead, feeling triggered by the Nekoma's captain's words before taking heading towards into the gym. 

He was gonna prove them wrong. 

Meanwhile, you were still searching for Tsukishima and wondering where has he disappeared off to. You have been running around the entire school, trying to find the tall male. After a while, you gave up searching as you gripped your hair in frustration, groaning, "How hard is it to find someone that tall?"

You were about to return to the first gym when you heard a bunch of noises coming from a gym nearby. Heading in that direction, you were surprised to see Tsukishima walking out of the gym, an irritated look on his face. 

"Kei-kun?"

Tsukishima's head lifted when he heard your voice, surprised to see you standing there looking at him with curious eyes. Noticing that you had caught the blond's attention, you approached him, asking, "Kei-kun? Have you been here the whole time? I was looking for you everywhere."

Tsukishima was about to reply when Kuroo stepped out of the gym. "Oi, Megane-kun. I just wanna apologize - Kitten?"

Kuroo stopped mid-sentence when he realized you were standing there next to Karusuno's middle blocker. You blinked your eyes as you tilt your head to the side in confusion. "Kuroo-nii? What are you doing here? Are you and Kei-kun practising together?"

"Well..." Kuroo scratched the back of his neck as he tried to give an answer, only to trail off mid-way.

"Tch. If you'll excuse me." 

Both you and Kuroo glanced at Tsukishima who simply bowed before heading off to who no know where. 

"Kei-kun, wait up!" You called out to Tsukishima who simply ignored you and continued walking.

You let out a sigh before facing Kuroo with a smile. "Ah, sorry Kuroo-nii. I'll be heading off first or else I'll lose sight of Kei-kun. I'll see you in the morning, good night!"

You turned to catch up with Tsukishima when suddenly you felt Kuroo placing his hand on your shoulder, stopping you from running off. Once more, you turned to face your friend and when you saw the troubled look on his face, you asked in concern. "Kuroo-nii? Are you okay? You looked upset."

Kuroo sighed as he glanced behind you before ruffling your hair, a forced smile on his face. "Nothing that you'll need to worry about, Kitten. Go on before you lose sight of your friend. Have a good night rest and I'll see you in the morning."

You knew that Kuroo was lying when you saw the way how his smile didn't reach his eyes like it usually does. However, you have something else to deal with first. That something else being a stubborn Tsukishima. Deciding that you'll ask again tomorrow, you wished Kuroo good night once more before running off to look for Tsukishima again. 

***

"Dammit! I lost Kei-kun again. Damm him and his long legs!" You grumbled as you leaned against the pole to catch your breath. 

This time round you were really thinking of giving up when you heard footsteps heading in your direction. You quickly hid behind a pole, thanking the gods for giving you a small body frame that allows you to hide behind anything easily. You peeked out from behind the pole and was happy to see that it was just Tsukishima.

"K-" 

You were about to call for him but stopped when you saw Tsukishima entered the first gym where Karasuno was still having their own individual practices. You ran out from behind your hiding spot and hid once yourself once more behind the gym doors, hoping to have a closer look at what's happening. 

You peered through the window on tippy toes as you struggled to hold yourself up. Curse you and your short height! You watched as Tsukishima bend down to pick up his knee pads that he must have forgotten. You rolled your eyes, feeling stupid that something bad will happen, only to find out that Tsukishima had just forgotten his knee pads. 

You were about to let out go of the window bars when you noticed the way how Tsukishima was observing his teammates' practices. 

"This is just a club. Why do you put so much into it? It's because you put so much into it that you suffer later."

(e/c) eyes widen, surprised to hear such words coming from Tsukishima. When you saw Tsukishima left the gym, you quickly let go of the bar and attempted to ran away. Key word attempted. Unfortunately, Tsukishima caught you trying to escape.

"What are you doing?"

You froze when you heard Tsukishima's suspicious tone. Turning around rigidly, you faced Tsukishima with a nervous look as you think of a lame excuse. "K-Kei-kun! There you are! I was looking everyone for you. Now that I found you, I gotta go."

With that, your back faced Tsukishima as you tried to escape, only to stop when you heard Tsukishima's next words. 

"Liar. You heard what I said, right?"

You turned around slowly, this time there was a frown on your face as you faced Tsukishima once more. However, the moment you saw how cold Tsukishima's eyes were, you flinched. Gone was the usual warmth and tenderness that made his eyes appeared honeyed-gold, instead of in its place was only coldness and anger. 

You almost didn't recognize the boy standing before. 

Trying to hide the fear that you felt seeing Tsukishima's piercing stare as you tried to find the courage to speak, only to fail. Tsukishima's eyes widen slightly when he saw the girl that he love flinching and what looked like fear shining in her usual joyful (e/c) eyes. When he saw how hard you were trying to face him but couldn't, it nearly broke his heart. 

Softening his gaze, Tsukishima's hand reach out to you. However, when he saw you flinching away from him, Tsukishima's arm fell back to his side as his hands curled into fists. He gritted his teeth in frustration before muttering under his breath. 

"Tch. Forget about it."

With that, Tsukishima turned on to his feet and head off into the main building, leaving you standing there feeling lonely and cold. 

You legs gave out as you collapsed onto the floor, your arms wrapping around yourself for warmth as you softly called out the blond, hoping that he'll hear you and turned around. 

"Kei-kun..."

Tsukishima stopped in his tracks when he heard you calling him, barely a whisper. The first-year nearly turned around and ran back towards you when he heard how hurt you were. But instead, he chose to ignore you as he forced his legs to move. 

When you realized that he wasn't coming back, you rose to your feet as you wiped away your tears. You were exhausted and felt like your heart was going to break into million pieces. You send a quick prayer up to heaven before heading back inside the gym to seek the comfort of your older brother. 

For a moment, you believed that Tsukishima was gonna turn around and come back for you. Oh, how wrong you were.

For the first time ever, you missed the warmth that you always felt whenever you're next to Tsukishima.

 


	22. Part 2: Chapter 20

"(name), you look very tired. Did you not have good sleep yesterday?"

You were falling asleep when you heard Suga's concerned voice. Not wanting your upperclassman to worry about you, you forced yourself to look awake as you replied, "Ah, I'm fine. Don't worry, Suga-senpai!"

Suga fixed you an "I-don't-believe-you" look as he sat down next to you, placing his tray of food on the table. "You're lying, (nickname)-chan."

"How can you tell?"

"Your nose always scrunches whenever you're telling a lie."

"Fine, you caught me." You sighed in defeat as you took a bite out of your sandwich. 

"So, are you gonna answer my question or not?" Suga asked as he gave thanks for his food before shoving a spoonful of rice in his mouth. 

Suga waited patiently for you to reply as he ate his breakfast, giving you time to collect your thoughts. Ever since last night the way how Tsukishima acted coldly towards you, you've been feeling quite down. You could still remember how your heart cracked a little when the blonde walked off, leaving you all alone feeling cold and lonely. Even now, you still longed for the warmth and security you felt around the middle blocker. 

Swirling your tea absentmindedly, you replied to Suga's question. "You're right, senpai. I didn't really have a good night rest. I couldn't sleep, not when my mind was a mess."

Suga's eyes softened when he heard the tinge of sadness in your voice, knowing who exactly it was behind your troubled mind. "I'm going to take a bet that Tsukishima was on your mind the entire night. Is that why you couldn't sleep?"

From the moment you wake up till now, Suga has been the first person to cause you to smile. You glanced up at your vice-captain with a small smile, saying. "Nothing can get by you huh, Suga-senpai."

"I'm the  ~~mother~~  vice-captain of the team, it's my job to know my team members well." Suga winked at you.

You shook your head at Suga's silliness and let out a quiet laugh. "You never fail to make me smile."

"That's my job. So, what happened between you and Tsukishima?" Suga nudged you gently, hoping to get an answer out from you. 

At the mention of string bean, your smile fell as tears gathered in the corners of your (e/c) eyes. Suga frowned when he saw that you were trying not to cry, feeling guilty for pushing you too far. "Hey, it's okay if you don't wanna tell me what happened. Just don't cry."

You quickly wiped away the tears as you replied, your voice slight wobbly. "It's okay, I think it's good if I get it off my chest."

Suga waited patiently for you to calm down and gather your thoughts, worry and concern filling the mother hen of Karasuno. You took a deep breath before explaining what about happened yesterday between you and Tsukishima to Suga, the entire time your eyes were fixed on the half-eaten sandwich before you.

**(A/N: I didn't include in what happened between Reader-chan and Tsukishima because it will be too long as I'll just be basically re-telling the entire previous chapter.)**

Suga listened carefully as you speak, not saying anything as you poured out your heart to him.

"So, that's basically what happened yesterday." You ended your story, feeling as though a weight had lifted off your shoulders. 

Silence could be heard as Suga took a few seconds to let everything sink in. You finished up your sandwich as you waited for Suga to say something. However, what comes out of the setter's mouth completely surprised you. "I don't think that's the main reason why you're feeling this upset and troubled, (nickname)-chan. There's more to it."

Suga gave you a small smile, knowing that he was right when he saw the look of surprise on your face. You returned Suga's smile as you let out a chuckle, "Nothing can really get by you at all, Suga-senpai. If volleyball doesn't work out for you, you can become a detective."

"Don't assume that I won't be playing volleyball forever. Who knows, maybe I'll surpass Kageyama." Suga glared at you playfully.

"You and I both know that you surpassing Kageyama is almost impossible." 

"Hey!"

Both you and Suga began laughing, the tense atmosphere having dissipated at Suga's little distraction. You wiped away the tears that have gathered in the corners of your eyes from laughing too hard as you gave Suga a small smile. "Thanks, I really needed that."

"No problem." Suga smiled back. 

You glanced down at your empty plate as you gathered your thoughts, knowing that Suga wanted to hear the rest of the story. You took a deep breath as you began speaking, "After Kei-kun caught me following him, he asked me if I heard what he said and I said no. But he knew that I was lying which I'm not surprised since this is string bean we're talking about. Nothing can escape from him. Kei-kun confronted me and Suga-senpai, I've never seen Kei-kun that cold before."

Suga's brow furrowed in confusion. "I don't understand what you're saying."

 You took a few moments to think through how to explain to Suga before continuing. "When I saw the look in Kei-kun's eyes, I've never felt more afraid than ever. His eyes were filled with coldness and hatred that rooted me to the ground. Kei-kun reached out to me, but I think he saw fear reflecting in my eyes that he held himself back. After that, he left. At that moment, I felt lonely and cold. I missed his warmth, Suga-senpai."

Suga's eyes widened when he saw tears rolling down your cheeks, your (e/c) eyes reflecting the turmoil and confusion you felt inside of you. The setter pulled you into a hug, knowing that the only thing that could comfort you were not words but actions. 

You blinked your eyes in surprise when Suga pulled you into an embrace. That's when you realized that your vision was blurry, so you touched your face to only felt that it was wet from your tears. "Huh? Why am I crying?"

Suga handed you a tissue to wipe away your tears as he waited for you to calm down before speaking. "I think it's normal to feel scared when someone that you're close to suddenly became someone else - a stranger. However, I'm sure that Tsukishima didn't exactly mean to be cold towards you. Did you maybe stop to think that he was feeling lost and confused at that moment that he didn't know what to do other than putting up his walls?"

You sat there as you contemplated Suga's words, placing yourself in Tsukishima's shoes. Ever since you met Tsukishima, you've always felt warm and safe around him. Sure, he can be a tease and mean towards you at times, but you knew that's how he showed affection or care towards someone he really cares about. 

"Hey, Tsukishima! Eat up, or you're not gonna last!" Nishinoya exclaimed as he slammed his breakfast tray on the table in front of the blonde male, a loud banging sound can be heard throughout the cafeteria. 

"Nishinoya-san, at least your stomach's big," Tsukishima replied teasingly.

"What'd you say?! You little brat!" Nishinoya shouted, irk marks appearing on his forehead as he glared at his underclassman who simply smirks. 

A smile grew on your face as you watched Nishinoya pulled on Tsukishima's glasses while the blond tried to defend himself against his upperclassman, a small smile on his face. "H-Hey! Stop! They're gonna break."

Suddenly, Tsukishima's gaze landed on yours causing your eyes to widen in surprise. You immediately turned your head the other way, your cheeks a slight pinkish hue. You placed your hand on your chest, feeling how fast your heart is beating. Tsukishima had caught you off guard. 

Meanwhile, the middle blocker smirked at the sight of you being flustered as he continued to defend himself against the libero's antics. 

The both of you might not be on good terms with one another, but that doesn't mean it still stopped Tsukishima from feeling happy at the sight of you. 

Suga let out a laugh and ruffled your hair, his face beaming. "I think you know what you've to do now, right (nickname)-chan?"

You glanced once more in the direction of Tsukishima who was smiling smugly as Daichi scolded Nishinoya for almost breaking the megane's glasses. With a lighter heart this time, you replied Suga. "Hmm, thanks for your help Suga-senpai."

"You're welcome." 

For the remaining morning, you enjoyed breakfast with your friends.

***

_Beep!_

The whistle blew and the first match of the second day of Tokyo training began. You stood next to Ukai as you observed your friends closely and took down notes. You were focused on your team's every mistakes and improvement, but your mind was on something else. Ever since breakfast, you've been trying to find the best time to apologize to Tsukishima. 

At first, you wanted to approach the middle blocker and apologised after breakfast. However, you thought it through and decided now that wasn't the best time. After all, Tsukishima couldn't afford to be distracted during practice and you know that you'll feel guilty if that happens because of you. 

Hence, the game "apologizing to String Bean at the right time" begins!

The first opportunity for you to apologize came during a short break for Karasuno after their first match. 

Ukai watched his sister with raised brows as you kept pacing back and forth, occasionally glancing in the direction of the team. Feeling curious at what you were looking at, Ukai followed your gaze and it landed on none other than Tsukishima Kei. A smirk grew on the coach's face when he knew what exactly his sister was so nervous about, and being the good older brother that he is, Ukai decided to help you out. 

"(name)-chan, just go to talk to Tsukishima-san."

Immediately, you whipped your body around to face your brother with a look of horror at the idea of having to talk to Tsukishima when you're not exactly sure on what to say yet, replying. "It's not that simple, Nii-chan! I can't just simply walked over and be like 'Hey Kei-kun, let's talk!' It doesn't work that way."

"Fine, since you say you can't talk to him, let me help you out."

"I don't like the sound of this."

However, when you saw the smirk on Ukai's face, you knew what he was planning. "Nii-chan, whatever you thinking of doing, stop thinking about it. It's not going to work."

Ignoring you, Ukai cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted for Tsukishima. "Tsukishima-san, (name)-chan wants to speak to you, but she's too much of a coward to do so!"

Immediately, all heads turn towards the direction of your brother's voice as your face burst into a million shades of red, feeling embarrassed that your brother would do something like that. Ukai smugly smiled as he placed his hands on his hips and looked at your trembling form, feeling extremely proud of himself. "You can thank me later, baby sis."

"STUPID NII-CHAN!!!" You screamed as you send a flying kick towards your brother's face, sending him crumbling to the ground. 

You didn't stop there as you continued to hit Ukai left and right, the poor man trying to defend himself against his vicious sister. "Argh! (Nickname)-chan, I'm so sorry. You can stop now! Ouch! I'm gonna get bruises!"

Ukai's pleas fell on deaf ears as you continued your assault until Daichi came and pulled you away from him while Takeda attended to him, making sure Karasuno's coach was alright. 

"Let me go! I'm still not done with the idiotic ass of my brother!" You hissed as you squirmed around in Daichi's arms, trying to escape. 

Daichi placed you on your feet and began reprimanding you. "That's enough! You're disrupting training! I would have let you continue if this is back at school, but currently, you're at another school so please behave!"

You stomped your foot on the floor as you talk back to your captain. "It isn't my fault that nii-chan decide to embarrass me in front of everyone! He deserves it!"

Daichi face-palmed, muttering under his breath. "What did I do to deserve this?"

You were still fuming when you saw that people were staring at you, so you glared at them. "What?! You wanna fight with me?"

Immediately everyone turned away, pretending that they didn't see anything and resumed with whatever that they were doing. You smirked slightly, feeling pleased that people know that they shouldn't mess around with you unless they want to meet your wrath. You enjoyed this feeling of power that you hold over people since you tend to be taken lightly due to your short height and petite size. 

Sometimes, you really can be a sadist. 

The whistle blew once more, indicating that break time was over. Every volleyball players returned back to their respective courts, getting ready for another round of practice matches. A frown appeared on your face when you realized that you missed this chance to apologize to Tsukishima, no thanks to your idiotic brother. 

Letting out a sigh, you marched back to the benches to resume your role as the assistant coach of Karasuno, ready to observe your teammates once more and find ways to help them improve on their gameplay. As you pass by Ukai, you glared at him with such intensity that it caused your brother to hide behind Takeda, quivering in fear like a small child. 

You smirked to yourself as you took a seat next to Yachi who gave you a warm smile, thinking, 'Tch. Serves him right for doing so.'

Meanwhile, Tsukishima was standing on the sideline, his head down to hide the fact that he was still blushing in embarrassment at what his coach did earlier on. Even though the middle blocker was feeling embarrassed, deep down he was delighted at the fact that you were trying to reach out to him even after what he did yesterday. 

After he left you, Tsukishima was overwhelmed with guilt with the way how he reacted towards you. The first-year wanted to find you and apologized to you, but he was afraid that you would either ignore or reject him so he didn't bother. Losing you was the last thing that Tsukishima wishes to happen.

"Tsukishima, how much longer are you gonna let your pride stand in your way from approaching (name)-chan? Can't you see the effort she's putting into to apologize to you?"

Tsukishima lifted his head when he heard Suga who had a knowing look on his face. When he noticed that his senior was waiting for an answer, he quickly replied. "It's not my pride that's stopping me from talking to Munchkin. I'm just afraid that she'll ignore me after what happened yesterday. She's the one person that I don't want to hurt and I ended up hurting her."

Suga gave Tsukishima a motherly smile as he tried to comfort him, saying, "Both of you are so alike, always thinking that you hurt the other party even though it wasn't your intention of doing so. Tsukishima, how about this, if (name)-chan is another girl, will you still feel guilty?"

Tsukishima seemed taken aback by his senior's question, but nonetheless, he still replied immediately without a doubt. "Not really. If Munchkin is another girl, I probably won't even bother at all." 

"Why?"

"That's because she won't be a girl that I care for a lot, unlike Munchkin."

Suga gave Tsukishima a satisfied nod, happy to hear his answer as he replied, "You're a smart person, Tsukishima. So, I'm sure you know what to do without me giving you the answer."

Tsukishima glanced down at his senior with a grateful smile, thankful for Suga's help even if he didn't ask for it. "Thank you Suga-senpai, you've really helped me a lot."

"You're welcome." Suga returned the blonde's smile, happy that he was able to help both of his underclassmen.

Suga might not admit it out loud, but sometimes he's happy that he was the mother of the team. Otherwise, the team would have fallen into chaos if he had left Daichi handled their baby crows all alone. **(A/N: Suga mama looking out for his husband and children, bless this angel.)**

***

"I'm hungry and tired!" You complained as you accepted your water bottle from Yachi and drank it like no tomorrow. 

"There there, (nickname)-chan." Yachi comforted you as she handed you your towel to wipe off your sweat. 

You've decided to take a break from doing your job as the assistant coach and joined the boys in training. Ever since practice match start, Karasuno has lost almost every single match and as punishment, you guys have to run up and down the hill behind the school gym. Since you joined in practice, you weren't allowed to skip the punishment even if you want to. 

At first, it was fun. But now, you just want to lie down and never get back up again. 

You were on the verge of dying when suddenly the managers of Ubugawa and Fukurodani entered the gym with plates filled with fresh-cut watermelons for the volleyball players. 

"Everyone! The parents from Shinzen High gave us some watermelons!"

Immediately, everyone let out shouts of joy at the idea of fresh, juicy entering their bodies after feeling hot and sticky from practice. You were no exception as you leap to your feet despite on being the verge of death a few seconds ago, the thought of eating watermelon in the hot summer refreshed you. 

For the next half an hour, all schools enjoyed eating watermelons together with one another, mingling around with their friends. You were seating with Hinata, Lev and Kenma, happily munching on your second watermelon. 

"Whoa! That's awesome, Lev!" Hinata exclaimed in awe at the sight of Lev's spitting watermelon seeds. 

"You should try it, Hinata!" You encouraged the ball of sunshine who took a huge bite out of his watermelon slice. 

Your (e/c) eyes gleamed with excitement, only to start laughing when Hinata failed to spit the seeds properly. 

You finished your watermelon slice and approached Yachi who was on stand-by with a plate of watermelon slices. "Ya-chan! Can I have another slice?"

"Of course, (nickname)-chan! Here, help yourself to it!" Yachi replied happily, holding out the plate to you. 

"Thanks!" You licked your lips and took one more slice. Before you could take a bite, a certain blonde-haired male walked past by and dumped his finished slice into the trash bag set up next to Yachi. 

"Huh? Tsukishima-kun, is one slice enough?" Yachi called out to the middle blocker. 

"Yeah. Thanks for the food." Tsukishima lifted a hand up in thanks, not even turning around as he headed for the gym. 

Your eyes followed after Tsukishima and that's when you realized that this is the perfect moment to talk to Tsukishima. You placed the untouched watermelon slice back onto the plate, thanking Yachi before running after Tsukishima. 

"Kei-kun, wait up!"

Tsukishima stopped in his tracks when he heard you calling out his name. He turned around and was met with you running towards him. He raised his brows in question as you stopped in front of him on bended knees, trying to catch your breath. "Munchkin, what are you doing here? I thought you're still eating your watermelon?"

You stood up straight as you looked Tsukishima in the eyes, searching the golden orbs that were staring at you. "I already finished eating. I just wanted to...erm...how do I put this in a way that will come out right?"

Tsukishima watched you as you struggled to find the right words to say to Tsukishima. You clutched your hair in frustration when your mind refused to work with you, complaining. "Argh! This is so hard!"

The first-year smiled, feeling happy that you were attempting to apologize to him even if you couldn't find the right words. He placed his hand on your head and bend down to your height, saying. "Hey, it's alright. I accept your apology."

You lifted your head up and looked Tsukishima in the eyes, seeing fondness and warmth, unlike yesterday night, causing your heart to flutter. Even if Tsukishima accepted your unsaid apology, you still felt that you should say it out loud. Taking a deep breath to calm down, you tried again. "Look, I'm not very good with words. So, bear with me. I'm sorry for what I did last night, it wasn't in my place to pry into your personal matters. I apologized for overstepping boundaries."

Tsukishima's eyes softened as he looked at your downcast head, knowing that you were genuinely sorry. He placed his hand under your chin and lift your head up, but your eyes refused to meet his. "Hey now, look at me (name)." 

When he was certain that you were looking at him, Tsukishima went on. "You shouldn't be apologizing when I'm in the wrong too."

You opened your mouth to protest, but Tsukishima caught on to it. "Ah, don't you dare say it wasn't my fault when I did wrong too. Anyway, I just want to apologize for my cold attitude towards you. I didn't mean to react that way, it just so automatically happened whenever I feel too vulnerable. My actions must have hurt you and I wanna apologize for doing so."

This time round, it was Tsukishima's turn not to look into your eyes, for he was afraid of your reaction. You rolled your eyes and a smile appeared on your face as you wrapped your arms around Tsukishima's torso, your face buried into his chest. "Silly String Bean. Sure, I might feel a bit hurt by what you did, but then Suga-senpai pointed out to me that was just your way of defending yourself. So, apology accepted. Although, sometimes you should open up to people once in a while or else one day that tightly sealed bottle of emotion is gonna explode and then you'll feel lost on what to do. Ow, why did you hit me for?!"

Tsukishima hit you on the head, causing you to cry out in pain. The first-year chuckled at your complaints, wrapping one arm around you while the other stroke your hair gently, murmuring, "I miss you."

You nuzzled into Tsukishima's chest, your arms tightening around as you replied, "I miss you too."

You smiled as both of you stood there hugging one another despite the summer heat and sweat from playing volleyball. You could care less now that you're back on good terms with Tsukishima, feeling whole once again. Never again are you gonna have a real fight with him, since you didn't want to go through the feeling of being cold and lonely again? 

Bonus:

"So, I bet that you're lonely without me right?"

"S-shut up! Why will I be feeling lonely? As if anyone will miss you if you're gone."

"That's not what you told me. And don't think I didn't notice you gazing longingly at me."

"AH, YOU'RE SO ANNOYING STRING BEAN! FINE, I MISS YOU! THERE, I SAID IT. ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?!"

"You know, you didn't have to shout. But I miss you too."

"Stupid string bean."

"You look cute, _ichigo(1)_."

"S-shut up!"

***

It was nightfall when training ended, but that doesn't mean the volleyball players stopped there. In fact, many of them were having self-practice. That includes you as well, deciding to help your friends out. 

You entered the gym after doing the last punishment of the day, your eyes looking around the gym to see who could you help with first. Your gaze landed on a certain owl who was approaching Tsukishima. Feeling curious, you walked towards the duo, wondering what is Bokuto doing. 

"Hey, four eyes, (name)-chan!"

Your eyes lit up in excitement while Tsukishima's body stiffens at the sound of Fukurodani captain. "Hello, Bokuto! What's up?"

Bokuto let out a chuckle at your excitement, ruffling your hair as he replied, "I was wondering if you and four-eyes would like to help Akashi and I out with spiking practice?"

Immediately without hesitation, Tsukishima turned the ace down. "I'm sorry. I'll pass."

Bokuto gave a shrug as Tsukishima walked off, not fazed by the middle blocker's rejection. Instead, he decided to turn to his friend, Kuroo for help. Meanwhile, you simply stood there with a confused look, not understanding why would Tsukishima refused to train with Bokuto. 

After all, training with the top five ace of Tokyo is rare to come by and it will improve Tsukishima's volleyball skills a lot. 

"Why?! You know the ace from Fukurodani?!" Hinata asked Tsukishima, feeling jealous at the fact that Bokuto personally approached the middle blocker for practice. 

"No," Tsukishima replied flatly. 

"Why did you refuse? That's such a waste!" Hinata protested. 

"Shut up. Unlike you, I don't have endless stamina." 

"What the heck? What's Tsukishima's problem? The ace from Fukurondani invited him to practice and he declined? That's unbelievable!" Hinata complained, feeling frustrated towards his teammate attitude.

You frowned as you watched the exchange between Tsukishima and Hinata. You noticed Hinata heading in the direction of the gym entrance where Yamaguchi was standing, observing his childhood friend as well. 

"You know, Hinata. What would you say to Tsukki right now?"

You perked up with interest as you heard Yamaguchi's question directed towards the ball of sunshine. Feeling curious, you approached the duo, interested to see where this was going. 

"Huh?" Hinata confusingly replied. 

"I mean...Like you did with Kageyama and Yachi-san." Yamaguchi went on explaining. 

Hinata who was still confused by Yamaguchi's question simply said. "I wouldn't say anything. Well, I can't tell if Tsukishima even wants to play volleyball. There's no point in trying to get a guy to play if he doesn't want to."

"Tsukki..."

Both you and Hinata turned your attention on Yamaguchi, waiting what he has to say about the middle blocker. 

"...doesn't hate volleyball. I don't think. If he did, he wouldn't have come to Karasuno."

"What about you, Yamaguchi? What would you say to Tsukishima?"

You smiled at Hinata's innocent but meaningful question, knowing what exactly Yamaguchi was thinking when he approached Hinata for help. You glanced towards Yamaguchi who has a thoughtful look on his face as he thinks through Hinata's question. A determined look replaced the thoughtful look on Yamaguchi's face as he thanked Hinata who gave a confused look. 

"Thank you, Hinata. You really help me a lot. I know what I need to do."

"What? What did I do?" 

Yamaguchi was about to head out of the gym to look for Tsukishima when you grabbed his arm, stopping him. The green-haired boy turned to you with a confused look, but before he could say anything, you gave him an encouraging smile, wishing him good luck. 

"Good luck, Yamaguchi. I know you can do it."

Yamaguchi understood your words and gave you a smile, nodding. "Thank you (name)-chan. If you don't mind, I'll head off first."

You waved goodbye to Yamaguchi who waved back before running off to look for a certain blonde. You watched until you could no longer see Yamaguchi and entered back into the gym, a smile on your face. You send a quick prayer to heaven, hoping that things will turn out well between Yamaguchi and Tsukishima. 

If there's one person who can make Tsukishima open his eyes, that person will be Yamaguchi. 

***

**Third's POV**

The moon shone brightly in the sky, crickets could be heard chirping in the grass. Other than that, there was no one else as Tsukishima made his way back to the sleeping dorms. 

His mind was filled with memories of his older brother and his lies that he told him when they were younger. Those lies that made him look up to his brother at first, only to be knocked down the pedestal when he found out the truth himself. 

Lies that made him came to dislike his brother, no longer trusting him like he used to. 

Lies that made him lose the respect he once had towards the sport that he now plays.

'It was just a club, but it was everything to my brother. In the end, it made my brother tell pointless lies.'

_"So, you're the ace!"_

_"Yup!"_

'But my brother probably believed that he could be the ace if he tried hard. But so what if he did? Would it be worth all of that trouble?'

"TSUKKI!"

Tsukishima snapped out of his thoughts when he heard his nickname being called. There was only one person in the world who would call him that, and it was none other than his childhood friend - Yamaguchi Tadashi. 

He turned around and was met with Yamaguchi running towards him at full speed, wondering why did he come after him when his friend was at the gym practising with his team. Yamaguchi stopped in front of Tsukishima on bent knees as he took in a deep breath from running too fast. 

"What?" Tsukishima asked, waiting for an answer.

Still, bend in half, Yamaguchi replied, his tone serious. "Tsukki, you were always able to do anything while being cool and smart, so I've always been jealous."

"And?"

Yamaguchi stiffened when he heard Tsukishima's careless tone, anger bubbling within him. He straightened his body and faced Tsukishima square in the face as he went on, "But you're being lame lately, Tsukki!"

Tsukishima stiffened, surprised by Yamaguchi's words. Not giving Tsukishima a chance to say anything, Yamaguchi carried on. "Hinata might become the Little Giant some day. That just means you've to beat him, Tsukki! You just need to become an even better player than Hinata and prove your skills! You have the heights, brains and instinct, so why do you decide that getting any better is impossible?"

"Even if I worked really hard and become the best player on Karasuno's team, what would happen after that? Even if there's a tiny chance we might make it to nationals, what happens after that? No matter how high you climb, there's always someone better. Even if you're able to show some results somewhere, you'll never actually be number one! You're gonna lose somewhere! You all know that, so how can you keep going?!" Tsukishima shouted in anger, all those years of hurt and anger finally being let out. 

Yamaguchi grit his teeth in anger and frustration at his childhood's friend words, remembering the one chance he was given to prove himself, but he failed at doing so. Those times where he could never the get one move that could be his speciality right no matter how hard he practised and practised. 

Tsukishima has everything he wished for as a volleyball player, but he has nothing. Tsukishima who has everything was on par with Karasuno's third years, yet Yamaguchi who has nothing, practised so hard and he still could never reach that level. 

Tsukishima who has everything was willing to throw away everything just because of what his brother did in the past. 

Feeling bitter and angry not towards Tsukishima, but at himself for his failures, he grabbed the middle blocker by the shirt and shook him, looking him straight into his eyes, shouting. "What else do we need besides pride?!"

Tsukishima stared at his childhood friend in surprise as he searched Yamaguchi's eyes which glared back with anger and frustration, not expecting Yamaguchi who always so quiet and agreeing with everything he says and does to lash out at him. Yamaguchi was panting after his outburst, eyes reflecting his inner emotions. 

The two of them stood there, glaring at one another, not saying a thing. Tsukishima's eyes widened in surprise when the moonlight shone on Yamaguchi's face, revealing to him answers to questions he has been asking himself for years. 

"To think this day would come..."

Yamaguchi released his tight hold on Tsukishima's shirt and took a few steps back, afraid of Tsukishima's next words. Instead, he was taken back by shock when a giant grin appeared on Tsukishima's face.

"When did you become so cool? You're actually cool." 

Shock was written all over Yamaguchi's face at Tsukishima's words as he replied, "T-Tsukki? What's wrong?"

'If anything, it's at least better than my worn-out thought.' Tsukishima thought to himself, before lifting his head to look at Yamaguchi. "But I can't accept that."

After contemplating for a while, Tsukishima headed in the direction of the other gymnasium where the other Tokyo school players were practising, leaving the green-haired still confused. 

"I'm going to ask," Tsukishima explained with a rare determination. 

At the back of the wall, a certain (h/c)-haired girl leaned her back against the cool concrete structure. Her lips lifted into a small smile, feeling a sense of relief as she thanked the heavens for answering her prayers. 

***

" _Oya_?" Akaashi let out a sound of surprise. 

" _Oya, Oya_? (What's this?)" Followed by Bokuto. 

" _Oya, Oya, Oya_? (What's this? What's this?)" Kuroo popped out this, surprised at a certain figure standing before the three of them. **(A/N: I followed after the anime where Akaashi, Bokuto and Kuroo were surprised to see Tsukishima. It sounded funny in the subbed version so I decided to use it, hahaha! ^^)**

"There's something I'd like to ask you. May I?" Tsukishima asked as he entered the gym, approaching the three volleyball players. 

"Sure!" Both Kuroo and Bokuto replied enthusiastically in sync. 

"Both of your schools are sometimes considered powerhouse schools, right?"

"Well, yeah," Kuroo replied, irk marks appearing on his forehead. 

"Even if you were able to make it to nationals, actually winning there would be difficult right?"

"But not impossible!" Bokuto replied angrily, his hands clenched into a fist. 

"Now, now, let's hear him out. This is just a what-if." Akaashi reassured the two idiotic captains. 

Tsukishima went on explaining, "I seriously can't figure out how everyone can be determined. Volleyball is just a club, and maybe you'll get to write, 'I worked really hard in my club in high school,' on your resume, right?"

"Just a club?" Bokuto questioned with narrowed eyes, feeling insulted by Tsukishima's words as he went on. "That almost sounds like someone's name."

"Ooh, like Mary Club?" Kuroo piped in. 

"No wait, I guess it was 'just some club'," Kuroo explained in realization. 

"Aw, man! So it doesn't sound like someone's name. Man, I was so close!" Bokuto cried out in frustration. 

Both Tsukishima and Kuroo watched with blank eyes as the clever captain cat and "top five in Japan" owl's ace discussed whether "just a club" is a name or not. For being third-years and valued volleyball players, Bokuto and Kuroo can be such idiots and immature.

"Are you basically asking me to retort?" Tsukishima asked blankly. 

"Nah. There'll be no end to it," Akaashi replied, used to their childish and dumb antics. 

"Say, four-eyes." 

"It's Tsukishima."

"Say, Tsukishima-kun. Is volleyball fun?" Bokuto asked Tsukishima with a knowing smile. 

Tsukishima furrowed his brows before shrugging his shoulders, saying. "No, not really."

"Maybe that's because you suck," Bokuto replied, triggering the blonde. 

Bokuto went on explaining, "I'm a third-year and I've been to nationals, and I'm better than you. Like way better. But I only recently started thinking that volleyball was fun. Ever since my straight became usable in matches. Because my cross hits that I was really good at kept getting blocked, I got frustrated and practised the hell out of straights. And at the next tournament, the same blockers couldn't touch it. I got right past them. Just that one shot made me feel like my time had finally come."

Bokuto laughed out loud in pride before fixing his piercing gaze on Tsukishima, crossing his arms. "It all depends on if you have that moment or not. It doesn't really matter what happens in the future, or if you can win your next match. The joy you feel beating the guy in front of you, and when you're able to pull out 120% of your potential, is everything."

Tsukishima was taken aback by the captain owl's words as Bokuto went on. "Well, at least that's how it's for me, and it doesn't apply to everyone. I don't really understand why you say it's 'just a club', but I don't think you're wrong. However, once that moment arrives for you, that's the moment you'll be hooked on volleyball."

Tsukishima's golden orbs widened as Bokuto drove the point home, pointing a finger directly at the first-year. 

"All right. I answered your question, now helping with blocking." Bokuto cheerfully said as he placed a hand on Tsukishima back, pushing him towards the court along with the help of Kuroo. 

"All right, now. Come on, hurry it up."

"Wait, what..." Tsukishima trailed off in confusion as the two third-years dragged him into their training. 

With that, Tsukishima spends the next two hours putting his effort into practice after a long time.

***

**First's POV**

Tsukishima walked out of the gym, feeling tired after the intense practice with Bokuto, Kuroo and Akaashi. He wiped his face to get rid of the sweat, but let out a shout of surprise when he saw you standing in front of him with a giant smile on your face. 

"What are you doing here? I though you were back at the gym practising?"

You winked at Tsukishima as you handed him his water bottle, replying. "I was waiting for you."

Tsukishima accepted the water bottle and took a drink to quench his thirst before speaking to you. "You're lying. What were you really up to?"

You clasped your hands behind your back, rocking back and forth on your feet, saying. "Fine, you caught me. I was walking by the gym when I saw you practising with Kuroo-nii and Bokuto-san, so being the good friend that I am, I went to fetch your water bottle for you knowing that you'll need it after practising with them."

"Basically you were stalking me," Tsukishima replied as the two of you head back to the gym where your teammate was. 

"Is this how you thanked someone for looking out for you?"

"Only you."

"Forget about it, next time don't expect me to help you anymore."

Tsukishima let out a chuckle as he ruffled your hair while you tried to push his hands away. "But seriously though, I thought you're turning in for the night already. Since when did you change your mind?"

Tsukishima glanced down at your curious expression, smiling as he replied. "After Yamaguchi came running after me."

You pretended to not know that Tsukishima and Yamaguchi were fighting earlier on. You deserved an award for being the best actress ever. "Ah, I see. So, everything worked out well in the end?" 

Tsuksihima nodded his head in reply, his gaze directed towards the moon. "Yeah, everything worked out well in the end."

"I'm glad. By the way, why do you exactly not put in much effort during volleyball until Yamaguchi opened your eyes?"

Tsukishima looked at you once more, replying mysteriously. "I'll tell you someday."

"Awww, why can't you tell me now? I'm curious."

"That's because if you do, you'll tell everyone you know."

"Hey, that's not true!"

"..."

"Oi, don't ignore me, String Bean! Answer me!"

The entire walk back to the gym, you kept pestering Tsukishima who has his lips sealed shut. After a while, you simply gave up, knowing that the blonde wouldn't reply you. But it's alright for now, you're just glad that Tsukishima's perspective towards volleyball has changed, thanks to Yamaguchi. 

And that's all you asked for. 

 


	23. Part 3: Chapter 21

**Part 3: Chapter 21**

"(NICKNAME)-CHAN!!" 

You winced as Michiko's scream echoed throughout the class. You readied yourself as Michiko came running towards you at full force, her arms outstretched - ready to embrace you. 

How she manages not to trip over all the tables and chairs present you'll never know.

"I miss you so much! You've no idea how lonely I was during the summer holiday!" Michiko sobbed, being the drama queen that she was. 

You let out a sigh as you patted her back, saying. "We just saw each other yesterday, Mi-chan. Stop being so melodramatic."

Michiko let out a gasp as she stumbled backwards, clutching her heart as though you've wounded her. "I can't believe you said that. I thought we were best friends! Waaa! You've broken my heart! I hate you, (full name)!"

With that, Michiko ran out of the classroom - her cries echoing down the hallway. You simply rolled your eyes as you made your way to your seat. You greeted your classmates with a smile, happy to back in school after the long summer break. Sure, it was fun while it lasted. However, you always have the most fun in school - surrounded by your friends. 

"You're such a bad friend, Munchkin. If this is how you're gonna keep treating your friends, you're gonna become lonely."

Your brows twitched in annoyance at the familiar voice, turning around to face Tsukishima who was reading. You slammed the book down, causing the blonde to glare at you. "Says the one who only has one friend. Besides, Mi-chan is just being dramatic. Once she gets bored, she'll come right back and annoy the hell out of me."

"I'm amazed that she hasn't left you yet with the way how you treat her." Tsukishima gave you a smirk which left you boiling in anger. 

Suddenly, an idea popped into your mind. You took a deep breath to calm down before looking at Tsukishima with a shy look, your cheeks a rosy pink. "That's not true, I have the volleyball team who have become close friends of mine. Even if everyone I know abandons me, I'll still have you by my side until the end. After all, you promise me."

The blond eyes widened in surprise, completely taken aback by your words. Tsukishima felt his heart racing as butterflies fluttered in his stomach. The way how you looked now brought him back to the night of the festival - the promise that the two of you made that will last forever. 

_I'm glad that you wished the same thing as I did. So, promise me that you'll stay by my side forever._

_I promise._

You're grinning in joy internally at the fact that your words made the middle blocker all shock and flustered. However, you weren't prepared for what came out of Tsukishima's mouth. 

"And I'm gonna keep that promise until you're no longer on this earth. Even if I'm to leave before you do, I'll watch you from above until you joined me - by my side." 

Now it was your turn for butterflies to emerge in your stomach, creating a storm. Tsukishima's eyes have changed from molten gold to warm honey as he showed you his rare small - the kind that leaves you wanting more. The world melted away, leaving the two of you in your own bubble. 

It left you feeling warm and safe, wishing that this moment will last forever.

Sadly, nothing last forever. 

"If the two of you are done staring at one another so lovingly, I'll like to start the lesson." 

The volleyball idiots snapped out of it, returning to reality at the voice of their homeroom teacher. Yukino raised her brows in amusement, a smirk on her face. "So, when will the two of you get together so that I get on with the lesson and not having to interrupt you two every single time?"

Both of your faces became so red that it put tomatoes to shame as the class burst into laughter. 

"You got it wrong, Yukino-sensei! You must be crazy to think that I wanna be together with string bean here!" You protested, your eyes widened in horror at the thought of being in a relationship with Tsukishima. 

"Tch, who wants to date this munchkin? They must be mentally unstable if they ever have such thought." Tsukishima gave you a disgusted look.

When you heard Tsukishima's words, you turned to face him - pointing a finger at his face angrily. "Hey! I'll have you know that guys will die to date me! Stupid Tsukkisaurus!"

Tsukishima's lips curled into a smirk, saying. "They must be invisible or non-existent because I clearly don't see any guy fighting for your hand. Besides, I think they rather die than being together with you."

At this point, you're boiling with anger and embarrassment. However before World War 3 could start, Yamaguchi piped in innocently. "But Tsukki, don't you like her?" 

Immediately all laughter died down as everyone stared at Yamaguchi with blank looks, leaving the green-haired boy lost. Yamaguchi glanced around the room in confusion, wondering why was his childhood friend glaring at him while his volleyball assistant coach refused to meet anyone eyes. 

"Yamaguchi, shut up!" Tsukishima hissed as his eyes narrowed, his ears a bright red. 

"Oh, sorry Tsukki." Yamaguchi apologized, a sheepish look on his face when he realized his mistake. 

Meanwhile, your head was downcast - your hair covering your face as you're too embarrassed to meet anyone eyes. Your hand clenched your chest as your heart beat like crazy, thinking to yourself. _"Kei-kun likes me? He actually likes me?"_

Despite feeling second-hand embarrassment from Yamaguchi's words, you're smiling to yourself - happy at the fact that the middle blocker might return your feelings. 

On the other hand, Tsukishima was fuming mad at the fact that Yamaguchi just revealed his feelings to you to the entire class. He glanced sideways to see your reaction, but unfortunately, your hair was in the way. The first year also felt nervous, wondering if you feel the same way. 

Luckily for him, your best friend answered his burning curiosity. 

"That's great news! (Nickname)-chan just so happens to like him too. Now, the both of you can get together and save us the trouble of working our asses off to set sail our ship." Michiko clapped her hands in delight, a giant grin on her face. 

Upon hearing Michiko's words, your head lifted up so fast that it almost came off. (e/c) eyes widened in horror as you quickly denied what your best friend said. "MI-CHAN! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TOO ME?!"

"I DON'T LIKE YOU, KEI-KUN! MI-CHAN IS LYING, IGNORE HER!" This time round you faced Tsukishima, desperation written all over your face. 

Tsukishima's eyes widened slightly before scowling. "Good, it'll save me the trouble since I don't feel the same either."

Everyone in the class gasped in horror, not expecting Tsukishima to say that. Excitement turned to disappointment at the fact that their no. 1 ship had just sunk right in front of their eyes. 

"Okay, there's enough drama for one day. Moving on people." Yuchiko clapped her hands to get everyone's attention who grudgingly took out their notebooks and stationery, ready for lessons to start. 

You took your stuff and lay them on your desk, thankful that you're sitting in front of Tsukishima so that he can't see your pink cheeks. You turned to glare at Michiko who simply winked back for her earlier actions, mouthing the words "You're dead". 

You love her to death, but sometimes she can be too much. 

As your teacher began teaching, your mind drifted to what happened earlier on. A frown settled on your face when you remembered that Tsukishima denied the fact that he liked you after you told him that you didn't harbour any feelings for the blonde out of embarrassment and panic. 

Suddenly, something hit you at the back of your head. You turned around to glare at Tsukishima, but he was looking outside the window - barely paying attention to class. You're about to face the front when you noticed a piece of crumpled up paper lying on the floor, next to your chair. 

Bending down to pick up the paper, you smoothed it out and wondered if anything is written on it. To your surprise, there was something written on it. You recognized the handwriting immediately, a smile appearing on your face. You folded the paper and placed in your bag, turning your attention back to your teacher. 

Looks like there's nothing to worry about at all. 

_I wasn't looking at you when I said those words._

***

"You know you look very beautiful, did you ever thought of being mine?"

"You need to use this specific formula in order to solve the question."

"How about this? Let's get lunch together."

"Now, you need to square root 3."

"Oi, are you listening to what I'm saying?"

Your eyes twitched in anger as Kagami poked your cheek repeatedly, annoying the hell out of you. 

"I'm bored." The red-haired whinnied like the five-year-old kid he was. 

That's it, you had enough. 

Slamming your hand down on the table which startled Kagami, your body whipped around as you glared at the male in front of you. "That's it! I've enough of you and your nonsense! Here I am taking precious time out of my lunch period to help you in your math so that you can pass the bloody exam and stay on the team! However, you're not paying attention like you should and instead just being a burden. I'm calling quits!"

Kagami was rooted to his seat, surprised by your sudden outburst. However, when he saw that you're packing away your things and getting ready to leave, he jumped out of his seat and got onto his knees, begging you not to go. "I'm sorry! Please don't go! I promise I'll stop and pay attention! Shit, I can't afford to be taken out from the team. They need me!"

You crossed your arms, eyes narrowing as you leaned down towards Kagami's face and whispered. "Do you mean what you say, carrothead-kun?"

Kagami nodded so fast that he looked like a bobblehead doll. You let out a sigh as you returned back to your seat and took your things, ready to tutor Kagami again. Surprising, Kagami was paying attention to whatever you're saying and asking questions when he was unsure about certain things. Look like your threat worked after all. 

The reason why you're currently tutoring Kagami was that your homeroom teacher approached you, asking if you're willing to tutor a student who was falling behind in his studies. You immediately agreed, eager to help your fellow schoolmates. However, when you found out who you'll be tutoring, immediate regret filled you. 

_"(Last name)-san, do you have a moment?"_

_You're about to leave class to get lunch when Yukino-sensei called you over to the teacher's desk. With a smile on your face, you approached her and replied cheerfully. "Yeap! How may I help you, Yukino-sensei?"_

_The corners of Yukino's mouth curled upwards at the sight of your giant grin. You're one of her best students and couldn't help but think that you're made out of pure sunshine due to the smile always present on your face. Chuckling at the curious look on your face, Yukino went on. "If you don't mind, I need you to tutor a student who is falling behind in his studies. Due to his bad result in his last exam, the vice-principal told him that if he doesn't pass his next exam, he'll be taken out for the next season. His homeroom teacher has approached me asking if any of my students are available to tutor him."_

_An understanding look crossed your face, knowing how hard it is to juggle both your studies and club activities, especially if it's sports. You've gone through it yourself after all. So, you agreed to tutor this student._

_The only thing was your teacher didn't mention who it was. Because if she has, you wouldn't have agreed in the first place._

Hence here you're now - tutoring Kagami.

"Okay, that's all for today. Is there anything you don't understand?" You asked Kagami as you packed away your stuff, done with today tutoring session. 

"Nope! Thanks to you I'm able to understand math now." The red-haired replied as he stared at you, his head resting on his arm. 

You rolled your eyes as you gathered everything into your arms and stood up, ready to leave the library. "Don't get too confident that fast. You still have a lot that we need to work on. Based on what I observe today, you still have a long way to go before you're able to reach my level."

"What?! Are you saying that today isn't the only day you're tutoring me?" Kagami scrambled to his feet as he chased after you who had already left the library, a look of disbelief on his face. 

"Looks like you aren't as stupid as I thought you are. With the way how your grades are slipping lower and lower, you'll be kicked out of your club activity if you don't do something about. As much as you and I don't like it, you don't exactly have a choice if you wanna remain in your team." You explained as you walked along the hallway back to your class, Kagami hovering over you. 

"Aww man! I hate studying!" Kagami complained as he ruffled his hair in frustration at the thought of spending his lunch period studying with you. 

"Hey, I'm not looking forward to it as much as you either. But since I promised Yukino-sensei that I'll help you, I'm gonna make sure that I'll see through this promise and make you pass your math exam even if I've to come find you and drag you by the ear." You shrugged, pushing the sliding door to your classroom open. 

"Maybe if you tell your sensei that after today tutoring session, you noticed that I'm actually really good at math and will be fine from here onwards. This way, you don't have to spend your lunch period with me and I'll be able to play basketball. How does that sound?" Kagami gave you a grin, thinking that you'll agree to his suggestion. 

Unfortunately for him, you're not the kind of person who agrees to whatever people says just because it'll benefit them. 

"I'm not gonna lie to Yukino-sensei just so that you can avoid studying and play basketball." You replied, glaring at Kagami with both your arms crossed. 

"But-"

"No buts. That's final. I'll see you tomorrow at the library, same timing as today. Don't be late or I'll make sure to castrate you alive. Make sure you turn up or else I'll haunt you down myself and you do not want to meet my wrath. Trust me. Now, good day." You ignored Kagami's protest as you slammed the door shut in front of his face, leaving the shocked basketball player standing there. 

You returned to your seat, letting out a tired sigh - your head resting on your desk. Who knew that tutoring Kagami would be so tiring. It felt as though your energy has been drained out of you and it's only 1 pm in the afternoon. 

"You look dead." 

Turning your head to the side, your cheek pressed to your desk - coming face to face with Tsukishima's blank stare. The blond raised a brow, waiting for you to say something. You simply rolled your eyes, replying sarcastically. "Thanks for stating the obvious, Captain Obvious."

Ignoring your sarcasm, Tsukishima gave you a curious look as he asked. "Where were you during lunch period?"

"Shitting." 

Tsukishima simply gave you an unimpressed look, not amused by your reply.

You let out a sigh as you gave him a proper answer. "I was tutoring Carrothead-kun."

"What kind of person has a name called Carrothead?"

"Carrothead-kun himself."

You blinked as Tsukishima gave you a glare, his patience running thin. 

"That look doesn't work on me. Anyway, his actual name is Kagami Taiga. You know the red-haired dude from the basketball team?"

Tsukishima stiffened when he heard the name, knowing who it was exactly. The day of the sports festival surfaced to his mind, the way how Kagami had stared at you left Tsukishima frowning and upset for some reason. 

"Kei-kun, are you alright? You look tense. What's the matter?"

The middle blocker snapped out of it when he heard the concern in your voice. He glanced down, your big (e/c) eyes filled with worry staring back at him. A soft smile appeared on Tsukishima's face as he ruffled your hair gently, assuring you. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine."

You touched your head where Tsukishima ruffled your hair as you looked at him, pink appearing on your cheeks. Even though you knew that Tsukishima told you not to be worried, you still can't help but worry about him. When you mentioned Kagami, you saw the shift in Tsukishima's expression.

You noticed how Tsukishima immediately stiffened, a frown appearing on his face. There was a faraway look in his golden eyes as though he was stuck in a memory and couldn't get out of it. You also noticed his hands clenching into fists subconsciously as his frown deepen, a look of displeasure on his face. 

How could you not worry about him? In fact, you have a feeling that something bad is going to happen and it involves a certain red-haired male. 

However before you could think any further, Yukino-sensei entered the classroom and everyone went back to their seats - ready for class to start. Your teacher faced the whiteboard as she wrote something on it, gaining the attention of all her students. Yukino-sensei placed the marker down and faced the front, saying. "So, as many of you know it's the time of the year where most schools will be having their school festivals and Karasuno is no exception. For this year festival, the school is planning to award the best class for each level. Students are given the choice to plan their booth/activity however they like, so I'll leave the planning to everyone."

Chatters began filling the classroom as excitement buzzed in the air, everyone coming up with ideas on what Class 1-4 could do. You were no exception as you turned around to face Tsukishima who had a bored look on his face. "Kei-kun, what do you think should our class do? I'm thinking of maybe a cafe or carnival? What do you think?"

"I don't care. I've no interest in these sort of things. It's a waste of my time." Tsukishima replied monotonously. 

Your mouth formed into a pout at Tsukishima's words, not believing how can anyone not get excited about such stuff. Before you could say anything to change Tsukishima's mind, Yukino-sensei clapped her hands - gaining everyone's attention. "Alright, settle down now. I know everyone is excited but before you start planning, there needs to be two representative - one male and one female. I don't care if it's voluntary or by voting, I just need two students who will be in-charge of everything."

Immediately, the class became quiet - no one wanting to be the representative. Yukino-sensei let out a sigh, knowing this would happen which left her with no choice but to select the representative herself. "Since no one wants to volunteer themselves, I'm going to choose. Don't say that I didn't give you guys the choice to choose yourself. I'll give everyone a second chance before I select myself."

You glanced around the classroom and noticed your classmates' head looking anywhere but your teacher. Looks like if no one is willing to volunteer themselves, you'll do it then. Raising your hand up, you said. "Yukino-sensei, I don't mind being one of the representatives."

Yukino gave you a nod, before addressing the rest of the class. "Now that we have a female representative thanks to (last name)-san. Now, all I need is a male representative. Does anyone want to volunteer themselves? If not, a name can be suggested and if everyone agrees, that student will be selected."

Murmurs broke out as everyone began discussing who the male representative. Michiko decided to save everyone the trouble and raised her hand, saying. "Sensei, why not get Tsukishima-san to be the male representative?"

Tsukishima's eyes widened as he lifted his head off his hand, his mouth parted in surprise when he heard his name being called. You immediately turned to glare at Michiko who simply gave you an innocent look, knowing what exactly she's doing. Meanwhile, a thoughtful look appeared on Yukino-sensei's face as she took it into consideration. 

"I don't see any problem with Tsukishima-san being the male representative if there's no objection. Is everyone alright with Tsukishima-san?" Yukino replied, glancing around the classroom to see if there are any objections. 

The entire of class 1-4 glanced at one another with an evil look on their faces that left a shiver running down your spine. For some reasons, you have an idea of what your classmates are planning. Seeing that no one is objecting, a smile appeared on Yukino's face as she wrote down yours and Tsukishima's names on the list. "Congratulations Tsukishima-san and (last name)-san, the two of you are Class 1-4 representative. I look forward to seeing what you've in store."

"W-wait, sensei! I-I-" Tsukishima stuttered, jumping up from his seat. 

Meanwhile, you stood up as you protested. "Sensei! I can't work with string bean!"

Yukino ignored Tsukishima's obvious reluctance as she gave you a stern look. "Yes, you can work with Tsukishima-san and you will. If I find the two of you not working with one another, I'll degrade the both of you."

"As for you Tsukishima-san, your cooperative skills in class hasn't done your overall performance good. Unless you want your grades to be affected, I suggest that you cooperate and participate. This is your only chance. Is that clear?" Yukino finished by addressing Tuskishima. 

"Yes, sensei." Both you and Tsukishima replied reluctantly. 

"Good, now sit down. The class is about to begin."

The two of you sat down as everyone got ready for class to start. Throughout the rest of the day, the class noticed that whenever you and Tsukishima made eye contacts, a glare was exchanged. Did they make a wrong choice in choosing you two to represent them?

Let's just hope that Class 1-4 will be able to come with an idea before World War 3 starts. 

***

"Pardon the intrusion." You greeted as you took off your shoes and placed it neatly next to Tsukishima's. 

You're currently at Tsukishima's house once more, this time round to plan for your class's cultural festival activity. It was after school and since there's no training today, the two of you decided to discuss so that you can get it over and done with. 

"Ah, welcome back Kei." Akiteru greeted cheerfully, only to be surprised when he saw you peeking out shyly from behind his younger brother. "Oh hello there (name)-chan, it's nice to see you again. How have you been?"

"Hello there, Akiteru-kun. I'm fine." You replied back shyly, having only met Tsukishima's older brother once. 

Akiteru smiled at your shyness as he ruffled your hair. "Hey, don't need to be shy. We've met before."

A blush appeared on your cheeks, feeling slightly embarrassed. Meanwhile, Tsukishima rolled his eyes as he grabbed your hand and pulled you away from his brother - heading upstairs to his room. "Munchkin and I have important things to do. We'll be in my room."

"Alright, I'll prepare some snacks and bring it up afterwards. Have fun!" Akiteru shouted as he entered the kitchen. 

You simply waved as you allowed Tsukishima to pull you along. 

"You know, you don't have to be that jealous of your brother. Besides, I don't know him that well yet." You commented smugly when you noticed the look of jealousy on the first year's face.

"Who says anything about me being jealous?" Tsukishima fired back, his red tinged with embarrassment at the fact that you caught him. 

"Well, your actions kinda say it otherwise. After all, actions speak louder than words." You shrugged, trying to act nonchalant if not for the smirk present on your face. 

"Whatever," Tsukishima replied as he entered his bedroom with you in tow. 

"Kei? Is that you? I haven't seen you in ages!" A high-pitched voice could be heard as the two of you entered the room. 

Sitting on Tsukishima's bed was a girl about your age with jet-black hair and beautiful green eyes that shone like an emerald. You glanced at the girl curiously, wondering who she was before turning your attention to a frozen Tsukishima. "Ne, ne Kei-kun. Who is she? Were you expecting company?"

Tsukishima ignored you as he let go of your hands and took a step towards the girl, his voice frantic as he spoke. "Yui-chan, what are you doing here at my house, nonetheless my bedroom?"

"Is this how you say hello to someone who you haven't seen in years?" The girl who was now identified as Yui sniffed as though she's going to cry anytime soon. 

You rolled your eyes as you muttered underneath your breath, "Drama queen."

"Did you say something sweetheart? May I add, who are you exactly?" Yui turned her attention towards you, a displeased look on your face as she looks you up and down as though she doesn't like how you look. 

"My name's (Name) (Last Name) and I'm Kei-kun's friend, in case you're wondering Miss Faker." You mockingly replied, a fake sweet smile on your face. 

Tsukishima chuckled at your words which left you grinning triumphantly while Yui simply glared at you. Yui noticed the way how the blond was smiling softly at the (h/c)-haired girl, leaving her boiling with rage and jealousy. Looks like (name) holds a special place in the blond's life and Yui has a feeling she knows that Tsukishima sees you as more than just a friend. 

Well, things are about to change now that she's here. 

"Yui-chan, this isn't the best timing to talk. I've school work to discuss with my friend here. We'll talk later, so please kindly leave." Tsukishima said as politely as he could, despite the irritation boiling beneath his skin. 

"Is this how you really gonna treat me Kei just because you found another girl?" Yui cried angrily as she stomped her feet like a kid throwing tantrum

Irk marks appeared on Tsukishima's forehead, his patience running thin. Fortunately, before things could turn nasty, you quickly spoke up. "Sorry Miss Whining Mc-Pants, but Kei-kun and I are very busy. Like he mentioned before, the two of you can have your lovely chit-chat over a cup of tea after we're done. Can you please leave the room? We won't be able to concentrate if you're acting like a spoilt five-year-old."

Miss Whining Mc-Pants pointed a finger at you as she screeched like a banshee. "Kei, get this girl out of here! I don't know want her in this room! She's coming in between us!"

You looked back and forth between Tsukishima and Yui, a confused look on your face as you asked. "Wait, who are you exactly to Kei-kun?"

Before Tsukishima could say anything, Yui cut in. She wrapped her arms around Tsukishima's left arm, clinging to his side as she gave you a smirk, smugness could be heard in her tone. "I'm Kei's girlfriend in case you're wondering."

You blinked once, twice before bursting out into laughter. "AHAHAHA!"

Tsukishima glanced at you bent into half, wondering if you've gone insane. Meanwhile, you continued laughing for a good full minute as Yui gave you a glare, saying. "What's so funny? Do you think I'm lying?"

You finally managed to calm down as you took in a deep breath, saying. "You know, I'm gonna call you Miss Liar from now onwards. Good job in trying to fool me that string bean here is your boyfriend. Unfortunately, it didn't work. I mean this is string bean that we're talking about. Anyone who ever thinks of dating him must be crazy! Right, Kei-kun?"

Tsukishima let out a sigh, feeling a headache forming. First, he has to deal with someone like you and now, add Yui, it's going to be a nightmare. Ignoring you, the blond turned to Yui. "Yui-chan now isn't really the right time. I'll talk to you later so please just leave before you make things worse."

"But she's the one who started it first!" Yui protested, pointing her finger at you. 

"You're the one who provokes her first." Tsukishima bluntly replied, causing you to stick your tongue at Yui who glares back at you. 

Tsukishima turned his attention next to you with a glare. "And you, stop teasing her before I throw the both of you out of my house."

"Psh, yeah right as if you would. You love me too much to get rid of me. Although I can't say the same for Miss Liar." You replied as you stared at your nails like the boss that you are. 

"Why you!" Yui shouted in indignation.

Having enough of this, Tsukishima shoved the two of you out of his bedroom - the door slamming right in both your faces. You simply blinked while Yui banged her fists on the door, demanding Tsukishima to let her in. With a shrug, you shouted that you'll call Tsukishima tonight to discuss the class plan before taking your leave. 

Without waiting for a reply, you left the Tsukishimas' household after telling Akiteru that you have a last minute thing so you'll take your leave first. You were about one-quarter away from Tsukishima's house when you heard a familiar voice calling for you. Letting out a sigh, you stopped and turned around, coming face-to-face with none other Yui. 

"What do you want? I've better things to do, so make it quick." You replied, your voice monotonous. 

When Yui didn't reply ten seconds later, you turned back and continued your journey back home. Only for the black-haired girl to chase after you again, this time round grabbing onto your bag so you couldn't escape. 

"Seriously, what's your problem?" You asked, giving her an irritated look. 

Yui straightened her body as she fixed you with a glare, her voice low and dangerous. "I want you to stay away from Kei. He's mine or else I'll ruin your life."

You simply raised a brow, unfazed by her threat. "Is that the best that you can do? Besides, the last time I check I don't see your name written anywhere on string bean that says you belong to him. Kei-kun is not an object, so don't be so quick to say that he's yours. Who he chooses to be with is his own decision. Now, if you don't have anything else to say, I'm taking my leave. I already wasted five minutes of my life standing here listening to you spout rubbish."

With that, you pulled your hand out of Yui's grasp and left, not bothering to turn around. 

"Mark my words! I'll destroy your life!" Yui shouted in anger. 

You ignored her as you plugged in your earpiece and blast your music so you could tune her out. You have a feeling that this wouldn't be the last time that you'll be seeing her. In fact, you're right when she turned up in Karasuno High School Class 1-4 as the new transfer student the next day. 

Your lips curled into a smirk as Yui glared at you when she found out that she was seated on the opposite side of the classroom from where you and Tsukishima were located. A single thought crossed your mind as you focused your attention back to what Yukino-sensei was teaching, ignoring the glares sent your way by none other than Yui. 

_Looks like I got myself a love rival. This should be fun._

 


	24. Part 3: Chapter 22

**Part 3: Chapter 22**

Chapter 22 – string bean is mine!

“So, as I was saying…”

Your head dropped and hit your desk, causing a loud “bang” sound to resounds throughout the classroom. Yui stopped talking as everyone turned their heads towards the loud sound, only to be met with the sight of you snoring away at your desk.

Michiko gave her classmates an embarrassed smile, nudging you to wake up. “(nickname)-chan, wake up! Everyone’s staring at you!”

You pushed her arms away, mumbling. “Go away, Yui-oba. Let me sleep. You’re so annoying.”

Yui’s eyes widened in horror when she heard your words, anger boiling beneath her skin. You slowly stirred from your slumber when you hear snickering coming from everyone. Blinking, you rubbed your eyes and came face to face with a fire-breathing dragon.

“Oh, hello Yui-oba. How can I help you?” You yawned, tears blurring her image.

Yui stomped her feet like a five-year-old, screeching. “Stop calling me Yui-oba! I’m not old and wrinkly like a 60-year-old grandma!”

You winced at the loudness of her voice, your ears ringing. Plugging your ears, you replied with a frown. “Maybe I should you Banshee Yui instead of Yui-oba since you act and sound like one. I thought they exist only in folklore.”

Yui raised her right hand, ready to slap you when Tsukishima entered the classroom. The blonde frowned, wondering what’s going on until his eyes landed on you and Yui. Golden orbs widened in surprise, before narrowing to an angry glare.

Walking up to Yui, Tsukishima grabbed her wrist before her hand could meet your face. He pulled the black-haired girl away and confronted her. “What do you think you’re trying to do, Yui-chan?!”

Yui’s glanced up at the boy that she liked, her lips trembled in fear as tears gathered in her eyes – unable to reply. The black-haired girl’s friends came to her rescue and dragged her away from Tsukishima, comforting her.

Tsukishima turned his attention back to you, worry gnawing him from the inside out. “Are you okay? She didn’t hit you, did she?”

Your cheeks pinked as Tsukishima’s hand caressed the side of your face, making sure to be gentle in case you got hurt. Leaning into his touch, you murmured. “She didn’t hit me. Before she could even lay a finger on me, you entered the classroom. Technically, you save me. Thanks, String Bean.”

A relieved smile appeared on the first year’s face, glad that his childhood friend didn’t hurt you. Removing his hand, Tsukishima made his way towards Yui – ready to give her a piece of his mind. However, he was stopped by you.

Glancing down at you with a frown, Tsukishima asked. “What are you doing, Munchkin? You’re blocking me.”

The volleyball player steps to the side, only to be intercepted by you. This went on as the two of you played a game of tango. After a while, Tsukishima got frustrated with your actions. Crossing his arms, he glared at you. “You’re getting on my nerves. Honestly, what are you doing?”

Playing with your fingers nervously, you hesitantly replied. “I know you’re gonna scold her, Kei-kun. Please don’t. She’s not actually the one at fault. I was the one who triggered her. So, if you wanna scold her, scold me instead.”

Tsukishima raised a brow, a hint of surprise shown in his eyes. The blonde didn’t expect those words coming from you, considering you were almost being slapped in the face. Then again, this is you that he is talking about. You’re someone who will defend those you deemed faultless in your books.

Letting out a sigh, the first year ruffled your hair with a small smile. “You never cease to amaze me, (name).”

With that, Tsukishima left you standing there and returned to his seat. You stared at the boy, your hand subconsciously touching your hair where Tsukishima’s hand was. Pink coloured your cheeks as confusion filled your thoughts while butterflies danced in your stomach at his actions.

You really couldn’t understand the blonde at all. One moment he’s being mean to you, the next moment he’s being nice to you. Just what on earth does he want?

“Why can’t he just be straightforward about his feelings?” You mumbled, making your way back to your desk in a daze.

Up till lunch period, you were barely paying attention in class. All that was on your mind was a certain volleyball player.

_Ring!_

The school bell rang, indicating it was lunch break. Chairs could be heard screeching on the floor as some students headed down to the canteen for lunch while those who brought their own lunches ate together.

You yawned as you stretched your back, the tight knots disappearing. Reaching into your bag, you took out your bento and gave thanks before digging into the wonderful meal prepared by your mother.

Just as you took the first bite, a certain somebody sauntered right up to your desk. You ignored Yui and her entourage of mini banshees, focusing on the manga that you were reading. Irk marks appeared on the girl’s forehead when she noticed that you weren’t giving your attention to her.

Yui slammed her hand down on your table, causing you to drop your manga in fright. Her lips curled into a satisfied smirk as you stood up, glaring at her. “What the hell is your problem?! Can’t you see that people is trying to eat their lunch in peace?!”

The banshee placed her hand on your table, leaning forward until she was in your face. You stood there with a blank look, unfazed by her actions. “Stop pretending to be a goody-two-shoes, thinking that it will make you look innocent in front of Kei. Don’t think I didn’t notice the way he sided with you immediately instead of me when I was clearly the victim here. Ain’t that right, girls?”

Yui’s entourage of mindless beings crowed in agreement, causing her smirk to widen. Letting out a tired sigh, you rubbed your forehead – feeling an oncoming headache. “Look Banshee-san, are you being delusional or what? Why the hell will I act like a goody-two-shoes in front of Kei-kun just to get his attention? Unlike you, I’m not that desperate. About this morning situation, I could care less if you’re the victim or not. It’s over so just leave it be. Now, if you’ll excuse me I’ve somewhere to be.”

Grabbing your unfinished lunch and maths materials, you made your escape to the library where Kagami was hopefully there. Yui watched your back, a scowl on her face – vowing that she’ll get her way one way or another.

Muttering to yourself, you made your way to the library. “Honestly, why did I even bother to stand up for her this morning? Such an ungrateful person.”

Arriving at your destination, you stood in front of the library. You placed a hand on the door and let out a sigh, a frown on your face. You have a very bad feeling about this.

“Are you gonna enter or not?”

“Eep!” You squealed in fright, dropping your stuff on the floor – including your unfinished lunch.

You glanced at the ground where your bento lay, breathing its last breath. Tears gathered in your eyes as you collapsed onto your knees, crying out. “Bento-chan, no don’t leave me! There’s so much I want to do with you! Hell, I didn’t even get to say goodbye!”

Kagami watched his tutor, feeling unsure if he should do something at all. He placed a hesitant hand on your shoulders, trying to console you. “Hey, it’s alright...”

You pushed Kagami’s hand away and stood up, facing the basketball player. Kagami scrambled backwards as you marched forward, pointing a finger at him – a dark look on your face. The red-haired glanced left and right, begging people to save him.

Unfortunately for him, everyone avoided him or ran away – not wanting to be involved. Kagami turned his attention to you, squeaking in fright when he saw a black aura coming off from you. Your eyes glinted, your voice barely a whisper. “Bento-chan and I have a future together, but you ruin it. You destroyed my future with my beloved and for that, you shall pay!”

You screamed as you leapt at the male, clutching the front of his school uniform. Kagami tried to pry the crazy girl off him, shouting in desperation. “What the hell is wrong with you?! Are you crazy?!”

Throwing your head back, you let out an evil cackle. “Crazy?! Nope, I’m not crazy! Rather, I’m insane!”

Fear gripped at the red-haired as his eyes widened with horror, at a lost on what to do. Fortunately for him, Tsukishima just so happened to pass by. Kagami turned his head towards the blonde, calling out for help. “Hey! Megane-kun! Help me!”

Tsukishima frowned when he heard a high-pitch screaming that sounds oddly familiar as well as a male that seemed to be calling for him. The volleyball player stopped in his tracks, turning towards the direction of the sounds.

One would have already run away if they are to witness a petite girl screaming and clinging to a boy who looks like he’s about to die. However, that isn’t the case for the blonde. Instead, he’s used to such sights as it’s a daily occurrence if you’re friends with a girl called (Full Name).

Letting out a tired sigh, Tsukishima shook his head, muttering. “Honestly, why do I like her in the first place?”

For the next 10 minutes, students watched as a blonde tried to pry an (h/c)-haired girl who was clinging to a red-haired male, refusing to let him go.

**Time skip brought to you by Noya’s special move, Rolling Thunder!**

Tsukishima watched you with a fond smile as you munched away happily on the milk bread that Kagami brought for you after the lunch incident.

“Hey, thanks for helping me back there Megane-kun.” Kagami thanked the blonde, a grateful smile on his face.

“You’re welcome I guess.” Tsukishima grumbled before continuing, “You’ll get to use it soon if you’re friends with her. It’s part of the package.”

“Haha, there’s a very interesting way of putting it.” Kagami laughed, feeling sorry for the first year who has probably suffered more than him.

Both males watched as you shared your bread with a group of birds that have landed on the school roof, telling them about your day. You were a strange one, yet it never fails to bring a smile to people’s faces with your innocence and child-like wonder.

Kagami glanced at the blonde, observing the way how he was watching you. Anyone with eyes could see that Tsukishima cares for you deeply with the way how his golden orbs light up with joy whenever you glanced their way with a bright smile.

Kagami’s lips curled into a small smile when he noticed a certain emotion hidden behind the happiness reflecting in his fellow schoolmate. The red-haired might be dumb when it comes to studying, however, he was sure of Tsukishima’s feelings towards his tutor.

“Are you going to tell her anytime soon?” Kagami asked, feeling curious.

Tsukishima snapped out of his daydreaming, a blush already beginning to form on his cheeks. Turning his head towards the basketball player, Tsukishima tried to deny the fact that he likes you. “W-what are you talking about?! What makes you think that I like her?”

Kagami gave Tsukishima a deadpanned look, replying. “Are you seriously trying to lie to me when it’s obvious that you have feelings for Chibi-chan over there?”

“I thought you’re too dumb to notice such things like that. Guess I was wrong after all.” Tsukishima smirked, trying to hide his embarrassment.

Irk marks appeared on Kagami’s forehead, protesting. “I’ll have you know that I’m a genius!”

“Only in basketball. Then again, I’m sure you won’t be where you’re now if not for your invisible, blue-haired partner. Am I right to say that?” Tsukishima challenged the red-haired.

“Leave Kuroko out of this!”

“Awww, such a protective boyfriend.”

“What the hell?! Kuroko is not my boyfriend and I’m straight!”

You watched your two friends with curiosity, noticing that they are glaring at one another. Standing up, you approached them with an excited grin, shouting. “Yay! Let’s all be friends!”

The two males turned to face you, shouting at the same time – their fingers pointing at one another. “WE’RE NOT FRIENDS!”

You rolled your eyes, hands on your hips as you fixed them a stern look. “I’m honestly sick and tired of you two fighting and glaring at one another. Why can’t we all be friends? From today onwards, you two are friends. Stop being childish and shake each other hands.”

Tsukishima and Kagami looked at one another then back at you, not knowing how to respond. Letting out a sigh, you took both their hands and clasped it together – moving it up and down. “String Bean, Carrot-head. Carrot-head, String Bean. There, you’re now both friends. Honestly, is it that difficult to lower your pride for once? I guess not since boys will always be boys.”

You let go of their hands and gathered your stuff, heading towards the door. You couldn’t hear footsteps which means that the two idiots were still standing in the same spot, not moving at all. Turning around, you raised a brow at the frozen males. “Are you guys just gonna stand there? Lunch period is almost over, meaning that we need to get moving. So, get your ass moving because I’m not waiting for you.”

With that, you turned back and walked through the door – disappearing from out of sight. Tsukishima was the first to recover from the shock and made his way towards the door, mumbling. “Out of all the girls available, why do I have to fall for this one?”

Kagami must have heard the blonde because he was laughing his ass off, causing Tsukishima’s cheeks to burn a bright shade of red. Tsukishima glared at the red-haired, hissing. “Shut up!”

The basketball player simply patted the volleyball player’s back, grinning. “You got yourself a strange one there. Good luck man. I have a feeling you’ll need it.”

Kagami left Tsukishima who remained, his head turns towards the sky. Golden orbs melted into honey as the sun shines its rays on the blonde. Tsukishima’s lips curled into a small smile as he entered, closing the door behind him.

The first year has a feeling that everything’s going to be okay.

***

The sound of shoes scraping against polished wooden floors could be heard coming from the gym where Karasuno’s volleyball team were having their daily training. You sat by the side, body hunched over a notebook as you tried to brainstorm ideas for your class’ cultural festival event.

Class 1-4 has decided to do a cosplay café which saves you a lot of trouble. The main problem now is trying to think of a theme. Scratching your head, you glared at your blank notebook, praying for words to just magically appeared.

After a minute long of staring, you gave up. Leaning against the wall, you covered your eyes with your arms, mumbling. “Aish, this is so hard. Why I did choose to volunteer myself?”

“Should I call and arrange a funeral for you? You look like you’re about to die any second.” Came an irritating voice.

Removing your arms, your eyes landed on a figure who was glancing down at you with a blank face. You let out a groan and covered your eyes once more, your actions bringing a frown onto Tsukishima’s face. The blonde took a seat next to you, poking your arm to get your attention.

“Go away Kei-kun, you’re being an annoyance to me.” You muttered.

Tsukishima ignored your words as he continued poking you until you got fed up and gave him the attention that he wanted. “Can you stop with the poking?! What the hell do you want?!”

His lips curled into a smirk, golden orbs shining with mischief. Your (e/c) eyes narrowed with suspicion, wary of the first-year’s motives. “What’re you trying to plan? I don’t like the look in your eyes, it’s so not like you.”

Tsukishima didn’t answer as he simply leaned towards you, causing you to lean backwards – warm melted honey staring into your eyes. Butterflies began dancing wildly in your stomach, your heart galloping like wild horses at a hundred miles per hour. You tried to look away, yet you couldn’t help but be entranced by those familiar eyes.

“W-what’re you trying to do? You better back off or else…” You trailed off when you felt Tsukishima’s lips next to your ear, his breath sending shivers done your spine.

You sat there frozen as the blonde whispered something in your ear that you didn’t quite catch.

Tsukishima moved backwards, lifting his eyebrows as he asked. “So?”

“Huh?” You replied blearily.

The volleyball rolled his eyes before pulling you up your feet, his hand holding onto yours tightly.

“Daichi-san, (name) and I have an important thing to do. We’ll be in an hour or so.”

“Alright, be careful!”

With that, Tsukishima left the gym – pulling you along. You struggled to keep up with Tsukishima’s fast pace, feeling confused as to what was happening. No words were exchanged as you allowed the male to drag you to who knows where.

A few minutes later, the both of you arrived at your classroom. Tsukishima let go of your hand and made his way to his table, leaving you standing in the middle of the classroom. You gave Tsukishima a lost look, asking. “What’re we doing here back in the classroom? Training is still ongoing.”

The first-year looked out the window, his eyes observing the activities going on below. He glanced back at you and replied. “You’re planning for our class cultural festival’s event, right? You looked like you needed some help, so I thought we could take a break from training and get it over and done with.”

Tsukishima watched with a fond smile as your (e/c) eyes lit up with joy, a smile as bright as the sun appearing on your face. Grabbing a chair, you took a seat next to the teenager’s table and started brainstorming.

For the next two hours, the two of you sat in the empty classroom – discussing your class’ event.

Tsukishima stopped paying attention to what you were saying as he observed you. (H/C) strands glowed in the setting sun, creating a halo around your head. The way your eyes lit up with excitement whenever you thought of an idea brings warmth to his heart.

“What do you think about this idea Kei-kun?” You asked.

When you didn’t receive an answer, you glanced up and noticed the way how Tsukishima was looking at you. Golden eyes glow in the evening sun, bringing out the speckles in the male’s eyes. Emotions swirled in his eyes that left you with burning cheeks and a ramping zoo in your stomach.

“K-Kei-kun, are you okay?” You stuttered, glancing away shyly.

Tsukishima’s lips curled into a gentle smile, fondness reflecting in his eyes. You watched as his hand reached out and tugged a loose strand of (e/c) hair behind your ears. You couldn’t tear your eyes away.

The outside world melted away as both of you stared into one another’s eyes. It was obvious that both teens are in love with one another and they wanted to tell each other’s feelings. Yet, they decided it still wasn’t the right time.

So, for now, they will simply bask in each other’s love – enjoying each other’s company.

Besides, Tsukishima’s wish came true.

_Kagami left Tsukishima who remained, his head turns towards the sky. Golden orbs melted into honey as the sun shines its rays on the blonde._

_The first-year closes his eyes briefly, sending a prayer to heaven. The blonde must have seen something because a sense of calmness washed over him, leaving him in peace._

_Tsukishima’s lips curled into a small smile as he entered, closing the door behind him._

**_Whoever hears me, I pray that I’ll be able to spend more time with the one I love._ **

***

Stars twinkled in the night sky like diamonds, the moon basking earth with its rays.

You took a deep breath of the fresh air as a smile settled on your face. Opening your eyes once more, you left school and headed home after a long day.

Humming a tune, you couldn’t help but feel accomplished and satisfied. You managed to come with a theme of your class café as well as the menu and other things with the help of Tsukishima. A light pink dusted your cheeks as the memory of being alone with the volleyball player in the classroom surfaced to mind.

No words could describe the emotions that you’re experiencing, yet it was fine with you. There were no needs for words, all that you knew was that you felt a sense of warmth and affection coming from your classmate and that was more than enough for you.

Nothing could ruin your happy mood.

However, you spoke too soon.

Just as you make a turn down the road that leads to your house, a certain classmate of yours stepped out from the shadows – blocking you. Irk marks appeared on your forehead when you noticed who it was.

“What do you want, Yui-oba?”

Yui’s eyes narrowed into a glare as she gave you a scowl. Pointing a finger at you, she angrily shouted. “I want you to stay away from Kei! He’s mine!”

Letting out a tired sigh, you replied. “Again, with the “staying away from Kei, he’s mine!” speech. It’s honestly starting to get irritating. For the last time, Kei-kun is not yours. No matter how much you threaten me, you force me to stay away from a good friend of mine.”

“Yes, you can! All you have to do is stop talking to Kei and problem solve! You’ll be on your merry way and I can have my chance with him!” Yui stomped her feet like a child, throwing a tantrum.

Anger coursed through your veins, done with Yui and her childish behaviours. Taking a step forward and another step until you invaded Yui’s personal space. You had the height advantage as you glared down at here, exclaiming. “You need to stop being childish and grow up! I understand that you like Kei-kun and it sucks not being able to be with him, especially if there are other girls in your way. However, Kei-kun isn’t yours to claim. Did he respond to your feelings? If he doesn’t, it means that he doesn’t feel the same way. I don’t even know why he still tolerates someone like you. If it was me, I would have already given up and left. Are you sure you like Kei-kun for being him or you like him because of his looks? Can you even call what you’re feeling towards him ‘love’ and not an obsession?”

Yui stood there in shock, unable to move. You tried to calm down, your chest heaving from shouting. A breeze blew through the empty street, the street lights flickering as the two females stood face-to-face – no one saying anything.

A few seconds later you spoke up, “I like Kei-kun, but you don’t see me walking around announcing it to the entire world. However, I’ll fight for him if I’ve to. Just not in a way that you do.”

With that, you turned around and walked off – leaving the black-haired girl behind. Yui snapped out of her daze as she watched your retreating back with a curious look.

All sorts of thoughts entered her mind as a new found of curiosity filled her. You’re such a strange one – it was so obvious that you have feelings for Kei. Yet, instead of responding to her out of jealousy – you responded out of concern for a friend.

For the first time, Yui finally understood why her childhood friend has fallen for you. You’re a girl that put others before yourself, shining with confidence – not afraid of what other people thinks about you.

If you believe in yourself, nothing can bring you down.

“I know you’re there Kei. You can come out now.” Yui turned her body towards the direction of where Tsukishima was hiding.

The blonder stepped out of his hiding spot, a light pink dusting his cheeks after hearing your words. Yui’s lips curled into a smirk, her hands crossed. “Nice blush you got that Kei.”

Tsukishima’s glared at his childhood friend, replying. “Not another word.”

“I guess you’ve chosen the right girl, Kei. However, don’t think that I’m gonna back down from winning your affection.” Yui chuckled.

Tsukishima simply laughed.

**Time skip brought to you by Oikawa’s burning hair**

You threw yourself onto your bed and buried your face in your pillow, letting out a scream. If anyone was to walk into your bedroom and saw you rolling around on your bed, they might have called an exorcist.

“I can’t believe I basically told Yui-oba that string bean is mine indirectly! How embarrassing!” You groaned, mentally hitting yourself for being an idiot.

_Ding_

Your phone notification went off, indicating you received a message. Patting your bed blindly, you found your phone and unlocked the screen.

**String Bean [22:00]:**

**You look cute when you’re angry.**

You could feel your face burning a bright red and threw your phone, hitting the wall before landing on your bed. Burying your face in your pillow once more, you cursed the blonde to the moon and back.

You couldn’t believe that Tsukishima was there when you argue with Yui. You were mortified at the possibility that he must have heard your indirect confession.

“I HATE YOU STRING BEAN!”

You’re so going to get revenge tomorrow.

Meanwhile in the Tsukishima’s household….

Tsukishima pressed the “send” button, his lips curled into a smirk. Offing his phone, he turned in for the night and drifted off.

Somewhere in the Miyagi Prefecture, if you listen closely and carefully, you can hear an (h/c)-haired girl cursing a certain blonde.

***

**A/N: Hey there! I'm sorry I haven't updated in a long ass time. I've been busy with school as well as writing two stories at the same time is time-consuming. In the next chapter, it'll take a while for me to update as my exams are just around the corner. Thanks for your continuous support and love! ^^**


	25. Part 3: Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm finally back after going MIA for so long! I hope you'll like this chapter and enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. I've lots of fun writing this chapter. We have Kagami to thank for a kissing scene between Reader-chan and Tsukishima to happen (this is my Christmas present to you - my lovely readers.)
> 
> Other than that, I'll see you in the next chapter! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you!

**Part 3: Chapter 23**

The school bell rang as everyone returned to their tables. You ended your talk with Michiko and returned to your seat, flashing Tsukishima a smile.

The blonde gave you a small smile before returning to his stoic expression. Taking your seat, you turned back and faced him. "You need to smile more often Kei-kun. No wonder you've such little friends. I bet people ran away when they see your face."

Tsukishima gave you an annoyed look, flicking your forehead. "I just so happen to enjoy solitude, thank you very much."

You rubbed your forehead, directing a glare towards the smirking male. "One of these days, the friends that you have is gonna leave you if your personality doesn't change."

"I'm okay with that idea because I won't be completely alone. I'll have you by my side until the end and that's enough for me." Tsukishima replied, a soft smile directed towards you.

Your cheeks burst into flames as you look away, mumbling. "Even if I didn't make that promise, it's not like I'll abandon you. "

Chuckling, the middle blocker ruffled your hair while you complained how it's going to mess up your hair. 

The front door slammed open as Yukino entered the class, causing everyone to face the front except for you two who were still in their own world. 

Yukino took her place at the teacher's desk, eyes scanning her students. When she landed on the sight of her top students, Yukino let out a sigh. "I'm gonna separate the two of you if you two are going to continue to be like this every time I enter the class."

The entire class burst into laughter as the two lovebirds froze in their seats, their cheeks turning a bright red.

You faced the front once more, burying your face in your arms - too embarrassed to look at your classmates. Meanwhile, Tsukishima turned his head to the side and looked out the window - his red ears giving him away.

"Alright, settle down class." Yukino waited for the class to quieten down before continuing, "As many of you know, the cultural festival is just a few days away. I hope that Class 1-4 has already something plan."

Excitement buzzed throughout the class as chatters filled the air. Yukino let out a chuckle at her students' enthusiasm before addressing you and Tsukishima. "Tsukishima-san and (L/N)-san, will you like to share your ideas with the class?"

Your face broke out into a grin, the earlier embarrassment long forgotten. Standing up, you made your way to the front of the class. You faced your classmates who gave you their attention when you noticed a certain somebody remaining in their seat. 

(E/C) eyes narrowed into a glare as you hissed. "String Bean, get your ass to the front of the class now!"

Instead of doing as told, Tsukishima gave you a lazy smirk - not moving at all. Everyone was on the edge of the seat as you marched towards the blonde's table, curious to see how it will turn out. 

You wanted to wipe off the smug smile on Tsukishima's face, seething with anger.  Tsukishima leaned against his arm, golden orbs not leaving your figure. 

The next few minutes, a commotion could be heard coming from Class 1-4. Shock was written all over your classmates' faces as you took Tsukishima by the ear and pulled him to the front of the class. 

Tsukishima winced at the pain coming from his right ear, his body awkwardly bent in half as you dragged him. When you released the Megane, he rubbed his ears and hissed in pain. "What the hell is your problem?! That really hurts!"

Crossing your arms, you answered. "Serves you right. If you've listened to me and get your ass to the front of the class, you could have avoided that."

The temperature in the class rose as the two volleyball players glared at one another. The class sweatdropped, wondering why they shipped the two of you in the first place when it's evident that it spells disaster. 

Irk marks appeared on Yukino, finding it irritating that the two of you are wasting her time with your childish antics. She stood in front of you two who turned to face her, surprised to see your teacher's face. Out of nowhere, Yukino pinched both your and Tsukishima's ears. "Get on with your presentation and stop wasting everyone's time! I still have a lesson to conduct after this!"

Both of you quickly apologized as Yukino released your ears. Ignoring the throbbing pain coming from your left ear, you forced a smile on your face as you addressed the class. "So, the class decided on having a themed cafe for the cultural festival. After a long time of arguing, Kei-kun and I have decided on a theme. Do you guys want to hear it?"

Your classmates let out a chorus "yes", excitement shining in your eyes. Your lips curled into a giant grin as you presented the theme. "We're having a volleyball-themed cafe! Yay!"

A breeze blew through the quiet classroom as everyone gave you blank looks. A frown replaced your grin as you stared at your classmates' reaction. Turning to face Tsukishima, you asked. "Where did I go wrong? Was I not exciting enough?"

Tsukishima gave a shrug in reply, wanting this to be over so he could return to his desk and sleep. Facing the front once more, you said. “What's wrong? Do you guys not like the theme?"

Michiko was the one who spoke on behalf of the class. "Seriously? A volleyball-themed cafe? Out of everything you could've chosen, you chose volleyball."

"What's wrong with volleyball? It's an awesome sport." Your frown deepened. 

Tsukishima rolled his eyes at your gullibility, taking his place next to you. "Baka, not everyone likes volleyball like you do. So, of course, they won't be that excited."

You glanced up at Tsukishima with a scowl. "Who are you to call me an idiot? You like volleyball as well, don't you?"

"Not as much as you."

"What's wrong with loving volleyball?"

Tsukishima simply facepalmed while you stood there with a confused look. The blonde let out a sigh, thinking to himself why he always must do everything himself. Giving the class a blank look, he explained. "We'll change the theme if any of you have other ideas."

Everyone simply gave him blank looks. 

"I shall take that as a no. Then, we shall go with volleyball theme. Period." Tsukishima's words were final as he returned to his desk. 

Class 1-4 let out groans, wishing that they haven't picked volleyball players to be their representatives. It was no secret that you would have chosen volleyball as the theme considering how much you love volleyball. 

You still couldn't understand why people were upset with your idea since you have decided to invite some special people to Karasuno's cultural festival and thought that having a volleyball-themed cafe will suit them. 

"I don't get it why none of you likes the idea of a volleyball-themed cafe." You said. 

Michiko let out a sigh as she explained. "(nickname)-chan, not everyone likes volleyball like you do."

"But I didn't choose volleyball as the theme because I love volleyball."

"You didn’t?" Michiko gave you a surprised look which you shook your head in reply. 

"No, I chose volleyball as the theme because I have invited volleyball teams from Aoba Johsai, Shiratorizawa, Fukurodani and Nekoma to our school's cultural festival and I thought that having a volleyball-themed classroom will be something they like." You explained innocently.

Once again, a breeze blew through the classroom as everyone gave you blank looks. Now, you were just simply confused by your classmates. Scratching your head, you muttered. "Maybe I should have gone with animal or sea as the theme."

Suddenly, the class burst into a shout of excitement - giving you a scare. You placed a hand on your chest, your heart skipping a beat as you tried to calm. Girls could be heard squealing as they fangirled over the fact that Oikawa from Aoba Johsai will be coming to Karasuno, hearts could be seen in their eyes. Meanwhile, guys are grinning at the idea of meeting some of Japan's famous volleyball players like Bokuto and Ushijima. 

Yukino gave you a thumb up as she mouthed the words "Good job!" which you returned with an uneasy smile. 

You glanced at Tsukishima who gave you a smile, his eyes telling you how proud he is of you. Pink dusted your cheeks as your classmates began to approach you, saying how much they love your idea. 

Looks like everything turns out well in the end. 

***

"KEI-KUN, WAIT UP FOR ME!"

Said male stopped in his tracks when he heard you shouting for him. Turning around, he saw your figure running towards him. 

Tsukishima raised a brow, curious as to why you stopped him. You stopped in front of him with a bright smile, exclaiming. "Since there's no training today, let's go home together!"

Tsukishima chuckled at your excitement as you grasped his hand subconsciously, dragging him in the direction of home. "Calm down there, Munchkin."

You snapped out of it, your eyes strayed towards both your connected hands. Pink dusted your cheeks as you released your hold on Tsukishima's hand, shyly apologizing. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have just grab your hand out of nowhere."

Tsukishima patted your head and grab your hands, intertwining his fingers with yours. Giving you a soft smile, he said "It's alright. Besides I like it."

Despite the zoo creating a rampage in your stomach, you gave Tsukishima a shy smile, tightening your hold on his hands. The entire way home, neither of you let go of each other’s hands.

There’s was a light skip in your steps as you hummed a tune, feeling joyful for no reasons. Tsukishima glanced at the petite girl, adoration glimmering in his eyes. He found this side of you cute and wish that you will show it more often.

A comfortable silence fell between the two teenagers as they enjoyed each other’s presence.

Despite the peaceful atmosphere, a war was being waged in your mind. You glanced at Tsukishima, only to avert your eyes when he lifted his brows. Focusing on the cracks in the pavements, you bit your lips in frustration – wondering how you should approach this.

You have no clue how to ask Tsukishima to go shopping with you.

That’s right. You were having an inner turmoil over this little problem of yours. With the cultural festival coming up next week, there’s a lot of things that needed to be done and that includes getting supplies.

Since you and Tsukishima were in-charged of your class’ event, it’s your responsibility to get whatever the class needs to successfully pull off the café.

As your house draws closer, you became more nervous which didn’t go unnoticed by a certain blonde.

Tsukishima noticed that you’ve acting weirdly for the past 10 minutes. The cheerful nature disappeared, replaced by frustration. He was curious and wanted to ask what’s going on in that mind of yours but decided not to since it isn’t in his business.

However, seeing the frown on your face, Tsukishima couldn’t help but ask. “Are you okay? You’ve been rather quiet for the past 10 minutes. Is something the matter?”

Your head snapped up at Tsukishima’s questions. Golden orbs bore in your (e/c) ones, showing his worry and concern towards you. The two of you stopped in the middle of the walkway, not saying anything and staring at one another.

Your heart began to pick up speed, unable to tear your eyes away from the blonde towering over you. Tsukishima’s eyes softened and ignoring the butterflies in his stomach, his hand reached out and caressed your cheeks.

Closing your eyes, you leaned into Tsukishima’s touch – his caress chasing away your troubled thoughts. Hesitantly, the blonde wrapped an arm around your waist and pulled you into his embrace – your head resting against his chest.

Your body relaxed as your hands grabbed lightly onto Tsukishima’s uniform. The two of you stood in each other’s arms, enjoying the warmth emitted from both bodies. Once more, Tsukishima asked, his tone gentle. “Do you wanna tell me what’s going on in your mind? It’s not healthy to bottle it up.”

“Says the one who keeps his feelings tightly under lock and key.” You murmured, afraid that you will spoil the moment if you speak too loudly.

Tsukishima scowled at you, hitting you lightly on your head. “Shut up.”

Chuckling, you glanced up at Tsukishima with a small smile. Tsukishima looked away with red cheeks, finding the way how you stared at him adorable.

You glanced into Tsukishima’s eyes, looking for answers. The intensity of his eyes left you breathless – a warm feeling reaching till your toes. You must have found what you were looking for because you could feel the nervousness leaving you.

Tsukishima’s eyes heart rate spike up in the way how you stared at him with big doe-like eyes, pink colouring your cheeks. Your lips curled into a shy smile, peeking from underneath your long lashes. “Are you free this Saturday?”

“Huh?” Tsukishima replied dumbly, too focused on your face.

Rolling your eyes, you moved away from Tsukishima. Placing your arms on your hips, you fixed the blonde a stern look and repeated your question. “I asked if you’re free this Saturday. We need to get supplies for our class’ cultural festival event.”

Tsukishima blinked his eyes, only to frown when he realized that you were no longer in his arms. Pushing away the disappointment, he replied. “I should be free this Saturday.”

A giant grin appeared on your face. “Great! I’ll meet you at the park near our houses at 9 am on Saturday. It’s a date!”

Tsukishima could only stand there with a blank expression as you opened your house door and entered, shutting the door behind you. It took Tsukishima a long time before your words sank into his brain.

His cheeks burst into flames as he finally reacted, rooted to the ground with his jaws hanging.

What had just happened?

**Time skip brought to you by Aone’s non-existent eyebrows**

“How was school today (nickname)?”

“It was great Nii-chan! Thanks for asking! I got a lot of school work to do so I’ll be in my room!”

Keishin blinked his eyes as his sister zoomed past him and up the stairs, barely catching your reply. He could hear your room door slamming shut. Shrugging, Ukai returned to preparing dinner – used to your random behaviour.

Leaning against your door, you dropped your bag unto the floor as you sank to your knees. You could feel your cheeks flaming – the red spots refusing to disappear. Placing a hand on your chest, you could your heart beating wildly.

You couldn’t believe you have basically just ask Tsukishima out on a date.

You needed to vent to someone or else you feel like you’re going to die.

Scrambling for your phone, you dialled a familiar number and muttered. “Come on, come on. Pick up.”

Your eyes lit up with relief as the person on the other side picks up. “Hello, Michiko he- “

“MI-CHAN! I’M SUCH A FOOL! I CAN’T BELIEVE THAT I DID THAT!” You cut your friend off.

On the other side of the phone, Michiko winced at the loudness of your voice. She stared at her phone with a blank look, having an idea of what’s going on. Letting out a sigh, Michiko spoke into the phone once more.

“Are you done screaming? I’m gonna end this call if all you’re gonna do is scream.”

Your lips curled into a sheepish smile, your tone apologetic as you replied. “Sorry, I panicked back that didn’t I?”

“You don’t say.” Michiko sarcastically replied.

Both of you laughed and you felt much better as some of the tension dissipated.

“So, what seems to be the problem? I take it that it must be an emergency, or else you won’t have called me.”

“What? No! I don’t call you just because I have an emergency!” You protested, feeling slightly offended that your best friend would think this way.

“90% of the time you call is because you have an emergency, while the other 10% is to complain about Tsukishima-san or that you’re hungry.”

You could practically feel Michiko rolling her eyes.

Knowing that if the two of you were to argue, the phone call will never end. Leaving this for another day, you explained why you called in the first place. “Fine, you win this time around. Anyway, the reason why I called is that I may or may not have asked Tsukishima to go on a date with me.”

“…”

“…”

“WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME EARLIER ON?! YOU SHOULD HAVE SAID SO IN THE BEGINNING INSTEAD OF SCREAMING SOME OTHER NONSENSE!”

It was your turn to wince as Michiko screeched into your ears.

However, the screaming wasn’t stopping anytime soon. Having enough of it, you screamed into your phone – hoping to get your friend’s attention.

“MI-CHAN, STOP SCREAMING! I CAN’T GO ON IF YOU KEEP ON SCREAMING!”

“DON’T YOU DARE TELL ME WHAT TO DO WOMAN! I’M OLDER THAN YOU!”

The impromptu date with Tsukishima was long forgotten as the screaming match between you and Michiko escalated.

***

You glanced at your watch nervously, checking to see if you aren’t late. In fact, you were 30 minutes early. Smoothing your clothes, you made sure nothing was out of place. After all, you didn’t want to ruin the effort Michiko put into dressing you up.

A small smile appeared when you remembered what happened this morning. It all started with your best friend bursting into your bedroom and scaring the living shit out of you.

_“(NICKNAME)-CHAN! WAKE UP! WE DON’T HAVE TIME TO WASTE!”_

_You jolted out of bed at the loud banging of your door and Michiko’s screaming. Blinking blearily, you rubbed your eyes. When you were much more awake, you gave Michiko a glare. “What the hell, Mi-chan?! What are you doing so early in my house?”_

_Marching right up to you, Michiko pulled you out of bed and pushed you towards the bathroom.  “Today’s your date with Tsukishima-san, right? Well, we need to get you ready. You can’t go on a date looking like a slob.”_

_Glancing back at your friend, you protested. “Firstly, it’s not a date. We’re just going to shop for supplies! Secondly, I do not dress like a slob!”_

_Rolling her eyes, Michiko replied. “You were the one who told me that you asked Tsukishima-san on a date. So, stop lying to me. Also, you do dress like a slob. You’re a girl, yet all you owe are shorts and shirts!”_

_With that, Michiko shoved you into the bathroom and locked the door. “You’re not coming out until you showered and brush your teeth. Get to it now! We don’t have time to waste!”_

_You let out a sigh, deciding that there was no point in arguing with your best friend once she sets her mind on something._

_30 minutes later…_

_“You look amazing! Oh, my baby girl is all grown up!” You gave Michiko a weird look as she stood there sobbing like a baby._

_Feeling curious as to how you look like, you ignored Michiko’s cries and turned to face the mirror. You were taken aback by the sight greeting you._

_A reflection that you didn’t recognize stared back at you. **(A/N: It’s up to your imagination how reader-chan looks.)**_

_Turning back to face Michiko, you hugged her. “You didn’t really have to do this for me. But thank you, Mi-chan.”_

_Mi-chan tightened her hold on you, replying. “You don’t have to thank me. Besides, we’re best friends. Although I do expect you to do the same for me when I have a date with a cute guy.”_

_You laughed as your friend winked at you - reminiscing the days where you two played together. You couldn’t have asked for a better friend._

“You’re early.”

You lifted your head when you heard a familiar voice. Tsukishima stood before you, dressed in jeans and a pullover with a dinosaur image. A smile grew on your lips at the sight of the dinosaur, you couldn’t help but find it endearing instead of childish.

“Nice pullover.” You smirked, your arms crossed.

Tsukishima looked down at his pullover before glancing up at you again, scowling. “Do you have a problem with me wearing this pullover?”

“Nope, I just thought it looks cute on you that’s all.” You shrugged before walking away, leaving a blushing mess of Tsukishima behind.

**Time skipped brought to you buy Hinata’s unintelligible words**

Tsukishima stood one side with a scowl, his arms full of shopping bags while you fangirled over a new manga. (e/c) eyes were sparkling with excitement as you made weird high-pitched noises, attracting attention to yourself.

The original plan was to shop for supplies that are needed for your class café. Everything was going smoothly as plan until the two of you walked passed a bookstore and the new manga that you’ve waiting for ages to come out caught your attention.

Hence, here you are with your nose in the manga while Tsukishima stood to one side – carrying all the items for you. Sometimes the blonde wondered why he loves you.

“Kei? Is that you? What are you doing here?”

Tsukishima’s attention shifted to the owner of the voice, a familiar face staring back at him. Standing before him was none other than Yui and next to her was the red-haired basketball player, Kagami. His scowl deepened as he shifted his attention back to you, his classmates doing the same and simply replied, “Her.”

You lifted your head away from the manga when you heard Tsukishima, (e/c) eyes lit in recognition when you saw your Kagami. Abandoning the manga, you ran towards the red-haired – ignoring Yui who waved at you.

“Kagami-kun! The new manga that we’re talking about the other day is finally released!” You exclaimed.

Kagami’s eyes widened before grabbing your wrist and dragging you back to the bookstore. “Where? Show me!”

Tsukishima watched with narrow eyes at the way how you and Kagami interacted, jealously bubbling within him. Yui simply smirked, standing next to the blonde – her eyes fixed on her classmates. “You know, they make a cute pair. What do you think Kei?”

The blonde’s eyes snapped towards his friend, a scowl on his face. “Tch. Whatever.”

Yui laughed at her friend’s answer while Tsukishima stood there with arms crossed, sulking.

Meanwhile back at the bookstore, a certain (h/c)-haired girl was watching her two classmates with a frown on her a face. Your frown deepened as Tsukishima hooked an arm around Yui’s neck while his other hand ruffled her hair as Yui tried to escape – laughter coming from their directions.

“Oi! Are you okay? You look like you’re ready to murder anyone who crosses your path.”

You snapped out of it when you heard Kagami. Plastering a fake smile on your face, you faced the red-haired. “Sorry. I must have daze out. What were you saying again?”

Kagami raised a brow, noticing the fake smile you were wearing. “I was asking if you’re alright. The way how you stare at Megane-kun and Yui-san look like you’re ready to murder them in their sleep.”

 “That sounds like a great plan.” You muttered darkly, causing Kagami to take a step back with wide eyes.

“You know if you’re just jealous, you should just admit it instead of planning to murder an innocent person.” Irk marks appeared on your face when you saw the smug look on Kagami’s face.

“Maybe I should plan on murdering you instead. Yes, that sounds like a splendid plan.” You rose to your feet, an evil look on your face – a dark aura surrounding you.

Kagami could be heard screaming for miles as he ran for his dear life.

***

“That’s it! I’ve enough of with the two of you! The entire afternoon I was being dragged into your game of “Who can make the other one more jealous?”. It’s super frustrating! Why can’t you just admit that you’re jealous instead of fuelling the jealousy even more?!”

Both you and Tsukishima glared at one another as Yui scolded the two of you. The black-haired girl glanced at her two stubborn classmates and face-palmed when she realised that neither of you was listening to her.

Ever since the two of you met Yui and Kagami, they decided to tag along on your shopping trip. It all went well in the beginning until Kagami took a bite out of your ice-cream causing you to climb all over him as you attempted to get your revenge by taking a bite out of his ice-cream.

Being the jealous little piece of shit that Tsukishima was, he decided to make you jealous as well by acting all intimate with Yui – making the poor girl all confused and flustered. Of course, you saw it and grew jealous as well.

Instead of telling each other straight to the face that you’re jealous, you two decided to see who can make each other more jealous – roping Kagami and Yui in who were innocent.

Having enough of your childish game, Yui took you both by the arms and dragged you to the nearby park where she began scolding the two of you.

However, seeing how neither of you was listening to her, Yui simply let out a sigh and turned to Kagami with a helpless look. “I’m done. They refused to listen to me. It’s your turn, Kagami-kun. Maybe they’ll listen to you.”

Kagami gave Yui a hesitant look as she pushed him forward and gestured for him to do something about the bickering couple before them. Shrugging, Kagami did the first thing that came to his mind.

And that was to push both your heads together, resulting you and Tsukishima kissing each other on the lips.

(e/c) and golden eyes widened in shock as both your lips met one another, unable to do anything.

“Kagami-kun! That isn’t what I meant by doing something!” Yui shouted, a look of horror on her face.

Immediately, Kagami released his hold on the two of you and began apologizing profusely. “I’m so sorry! I just did whatever came to my mind first!”

However, neither of you heard the panicking red-haired who was currently being strangled to death by Yui as both of you were caught in your own world.

The only thing you could hear was the beating of your own heart, drowning out other noises. You stared at Tsukishima with wide eyes – your lips tingling from the accident kiss earlier on. Your cheeks reddened, bringing shame to tomatoes as a zoo exploded in your stomach.

Instead of feeling embarrassed or nervous, you felt happy.

Meanwhile, Tsukishima simply sat there frozen, his heart racing a mile per hour. He wanted to be angry towards the basketball player for doing this to him, but he couldn’t bring himself to be angry. Instead, he feels a tingling sensation starting from his lips where you kissed him spreading throughout his body – leaving him on cloud nine.

Both you and Tsukishima continued to stare at one another – (e/c) and golden clashing with all sort of emotions neither one has felt so strongly before. Before either of you could stop it, you found yourself leaning in towards one another – the gap between you and Tsukishima closing.

_3 cm._

Your eyes fluttered shut.

_2 cm._

You could feel Tsukishima’s breath.

_1 cm._

Your lips brushed against Tsukishima’s lips.

_0 cm._

“I SAID I’M ALREADY SORRY YUI-SAN! PLEASE DON’T STRANGLING ME!”

Kagami’s shout shattered the atmosphere that you and Tsukishima have ongoing, causing your eyes to snap open. You let out a shriek when you noticed how close Tsukishima’s face as – he was basically invading your personal face!

Your face burst into a million shades of red as you smacked Tsukishima in the heat of the moment, shrieking. “What are you trying to do?!”

Tsukishima grimaced when he felt pain blossoming across his cheek, a scowl forming on his face. Your eyes widened in horror when you realised what you did. Squishing Tsukishima’s cheeks in-between your hands, you moved his head left and right to access the damage you inflicted on him while apologizing profusely.

“I’m so sorry Kei-kun! I didn’t mean to hit you. It was just in the heat of the moment since your face was so close to me and I freak out!”

Grabbing onto your wrist, Tsukishima stopped your frantic movement – his vision a daze. When he regained his senses, he looked you into the eyes and noticed that there were tears gathered in the corner of your eyes.

Letting out a sigh, the volleyball player brought you into a hug and stroked your hair – comforting you. “It’s alright. I know you didn’t do it on purpose. So, calm down.”

You took in a shuddering breath, leaning into the blonde – his heartbeat calming you down. The two of you stayed there way, forgetting that Yui and Kagami were still arguing in the background – oblivious to their surroundings.

“Ne Kei-kun, do you think Yui-san and Kagami-kun made a cute pair?”

“For once, you’re using your brain.”

“Hey! I always use my brain okay?! Or else I won’t have been the strategist of our volleyball team!”

“Whatever makes you sleep at night.”

Was this shopping a date or disaster with Tsukishima? You will never know the answer to that. But what you do know is that, maybe just maybe, Tsukishima returns your feelings.

Hence, this concludes your shopping date with a certain dinosaur lover.

***

**Bonus:**

“I don’t know if I should feel thankful or angry towards you Kagami-kun.”

“H-huh? What do you mean by that?”

“What you did early on was a genius because you made the two lovebirds kissed one another which was so cute! But on the other hand, you made my rival kissed the guy I’m aiming for! This just lower my chances with Kei!”

“It’s not like Megane-kun will return your feelings. Anyone with a pair of working eyes can see that he’s head over heels in love with (name)-san.”

“What did you say again?”

“N-nothing! Erm, I gotta go! My mom is calling me! Bye!”

“Oh no, you don’t. Don’t think you can get away easily from me.”

“I’M SORRY YUI-SAN!”

 


	26. Part 3: Chapter 24

**A Volleyball Reunion**

Today was the day of Karasuno’s annual cultural festival and you were overwhelmed with excitement at the thought of seeing your volleyball friends again. You have woken up with a giant grin on your face, nearly splitting your cheeks in half.

You left home for school, skipping and humming along the way – not a single worry in the world.

Yesterday, the entire class 1-4 stayed back to help set up – transforming a plain classroom into a vibrant volleyball-themed café.

You stood in front of your class door, hesitating to enter. What if something went wrong during the festival? What if your class didn’t receive any customers when your classmates work so hard? What if none of your volleyball friends enjoys themselves?

All the “what ifs” floated in your mind, chasing away your cheery mood – replacing it with anxiety.

“Are you going to enter or just stand there blocking the way?”

You jumped out of the way, apologising to the person. “I’m so sorry…”

You trailed off as you lifted your head to see who it was. It was none other than Tsukishima who was standing there with a brow raised.

“O-oh, it’s just you Kei-kun. Sorry, I didn’t hear you coming.” You replied distractedly.

Tsukishima frowned, worried was written all over his face as he saw how distracted and fidgety you were. Placing a concerned hand on your shoulder, he softly asked. “Are you okay? You seem distracted by something.”

You snapped out of it, blinking your eyes. Silence settled between the two of you as you didn’t reply the blonde immediately. Tsukishima waited patiently for you to collect and sort out your thoughts before replying him.

Thoughts appeared left and right, forming a small headache. You placed a hand on your chest, feeling how fast your heart was beating. You could feel worried golden orbs staring at you and that caused a small smile to appear on your face.

Calmness washed over you as your heartbeat returned to normal. You inhale and exhale, feeling completely relaxed.

The volleyball player just had that sort of effect on you.

Turning around, your head was down as (e/c) orbs focused on your shoes. Wrapping your arms around yourself, you softly spoke. “Kei-kun, do you think our café will be a success?”

Tsukishima’s furrowed his brow in confusion. Was this what you were so upset about?

“Was this what you are brooding over?”

Shrugging, you replied. “Yea, I mean everyone worked so hard yesterday in transforming our class into a café. I won’t be able to forgive myself if I see the disappointed looks on our classmates’ faces if we failed.”

Tsukishima’s lips curled into a smile, his eyes shone with fondness. He knew that he should’ve seen this coming, considering this is you he is talking about. It’s natural for you to worry about the event, not because you were worried that your hard work will go to waste, rather you were worried about your classmates.

Your selflessness was one of the reasons why he fell for you.

You felt Tsukishima placing a hand on your shoulder, causing you to lift your head – (e/c) meeting gold.

“Hey, there’s nothing to worry about. The café will succeed, trust me.” Tsukishima gave you an assured smile.

“How do you know for sure? It’s not like you can predict the future.” You whispered worriedly.

Rolling his eyes, Tsukishima hit you lightly on the head. “Has playing volleyball since young taught you nothing about teamwork? Have you forgotten that everyone on your side of the net is your ally?”

(e/c) eyes widened in realization.

How could you have forgotten that you weren’t alone in this? You have your classmates’ support and you know that they will have your back 100%.

Tsukishima smiled when he saw the fire rekindled in your eyes, burning with determination. He was glad that you were back to normal.

“Shall we get going? I’m sure everyone’s waiting for us- “

The blond cut off mid-sentence, golden orbs widening in surprise.

You stood on tippy-toe, your eyes closed as you pecked Tsukishima on the cheek – your cheeks a pale pink.

The kiss disappeared as quickly as it appeared.

When Tsukishima regained his senses, you had already opened the door and entered the class, your “thank you” lingering in his ears.

The middle blocker could feel his heart threatening to escape from his chest. Butterflies danced in his stomach as his ears and cheeks resembled ripen tomatoes.

Despite that, Tsukishima couldn’t help but smile as he shook his fondly, entering the class.

_Hopefully, I’ll be able to tell you how much you mean to me tonight._

***

“Ukai-san! Can you please get me a cloth?!”

“Ukai-chan! We need you to attend to the customers!!”

“(NICKNAME)-CHAN! I ACCIDENTALLY BURNED THE FOOD! WHAT DO I DO?!”

You could be seen running around the class as people kept calling for your presence left and right.

Right now, you were trying to calm Michiko down, reassuring her that no one’s blaming her for her mistake.

“Mi-chan, calm down. I’m not blaming you, so stop saying you’re sorry.”

“B-but I could’ve set the classroom on fire and ruined everyone’s hard work!” Michiko sobbed as she clung to you, fat tears running down her face.

You let out a sigh, feeling as though you were trying to pacify a child. Why was she nominated for class president again?

Nonetheless, you were able to calm her down completely and reassured for the last time that it wasn’t her fault. Michiko thanked you and apologized for the last time before helping another classmate with the washing.

Collapsing on a nearby chair, you rubbed your eyes and let out a yawn. It has been an hour since Karasuno’s cultural festival started and Class 1-4 had been busy running the café.

Apparently, your class was a hit among the visitors. Words spread that there was a volleyball-themed café where famous volleyball teams from Tokyo and the Miyagi prefecture will be coming.

Maybe it had been a mistake to invite your volleyball friends.

“Ukai-san! You’ve customers looking for you.”

Without opening your eyes, you shouted. “I’m not the only one on waiter duty, call someone else.”

“Is this how you treat your invited guests, kitten?”

Your eyes shot open at the familiar voice coming from above. Leaning over you with a smirk on his face, his famous bed-head hair blocking out the light was none other than Nekoma’s captain – Kuroo Testuro.

“Kuroo-nii!’’ You squealed with delight as you threw yourself into the captain’s open arms.

Kuroo brought you closer to his chest, snuggling his face into your hair. “It’s nice to see you again, kitten. I miss you.”

Pulling back, you grinned. “I see you made it here safely, Kuroo-nii. I don’t suppose a certain owl came with you?”

Kuroo gave you a mysterious grin, not saying anything.

You spent the next ten minutes catching up with your Nekoma friends, laughing at their usual rowdiness.

Tsukishima watched as you laughed at something Yamamoto said, a fond look in his eyes.

“She looks beautiful, doesn’t she?”

Tsukishima turned his head towards the voice, seeing Kuroo standing next to him. His attention was focused on you, a soft smile on his face. In the past, the middle blocker would have been jealous of the cat captain’s words.

Now, Tsukishima knew that Kuroo simply cared for you as an older brother.

“Yeah, she does.”

The two of them fixed their eyes on you, seeing you glowing with happiness. They could only imagine how delightful you will be when you’re surrounded by the rest of your volleyball friends who were making their way over to you.

**Time skipped brought to you by Ushijima’s pet cow**

“Sorry, we’re booked for the next two hours. Please come back after that.” You apologized to the customers queuing in front of Class 1-4.

They let out disappointed groans but promised that they will be back later after the two hours are up. You bid them goodbye, saying that there will be free desserts to thank them for their understandings.

You entered the class, closing the door. Your hand rested on the door’s handle, remaining on the spot.

In the background, you could hear shouting filling the entire classroom.

“Ushiwaka! My team will win against you in the Spring Tournament! Mark my words!”

“Do not be so quick to think you’ll win, Oikawa-san. Many times, your team have lost against me, this time round is no exception.”

“Why you! I swear I’ll-OUCH! IWA-CHAN, WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!”

“SHUT UP SHITTYKAWA!”

As usual, the captain of Aoba Johsai just had to pick a fight with the captain of Shiratorizawa, their old-time rival.

Meanwhile, you could hear a certain owl and cat harassing a poor crow.

“Daichi-san, what do you say after this – me, you and Bokuto-san go for a ‘special’ training of our own? Ya know, captain to captain?”

“Hey, hey, hey!”

“I-I’m good, thank you very much.”

Class 1-4 was a chaotic mess as all five volleyball teams from Karasuno, Aoba Johsai, Shiratorizawa, Nekoma and Fukurodani interacted with one another.

In one corner of the classroom, you could see Iwaizumi holding Oikawa back who kept taunting Ushijima who simply stood there unmoving with his usual stoic expression. Instead, Tendou was the one who kept agitating Oikawa’s team.

On the other side, Daichi was being cornered by Bokuto and Kuroo when the mothers of their teams came to his rescue.

Bokuto and Kuroo could be seen being dragged away by Akaashi and Yaku while Suga fretted over his captain, worried for him.

The rest of the volleyball teams were either catching up or arguing about the most useless thing in the world. For example, Kageyama and Hinata were arguing about which bun tasted better – pork or curry.

Yamamoto, Nishinoya and Tanaka were surrounding Yachi, threatening to crush those who dare to approach them. The poor first-year was half-frightened to death until Kiyoko came to her rescue, smacking the three boys.

Your classmates were simply staring in bewilderment, unsure of what to do.

You were starting to regret inviting them in the first place.

As the volumes increases, irk marks appeared on your forehead – your eyes twitching in anger. You reached your boiling point as you turned around and smacked your hand on a nearby desk, the sound resounding throughout the class.

“SHUT UP!”

Immediately, everyone shut their mouths and froze on the spot, not daring to breathe. They could feel waves of anger rolling off you as you approached them.

Each step you took, they took a step back. Most of them have either witnessed your wrath or be on the receiving end of your wrath and neither of them wants to go through it again.

Your classmates watched in amusement as the group of boys were plastered against the wall, completely fearful of the petite girl standing in front of them.

It was quite a comical sight, since most of them were towering over you in great heights, yet they were so fearful of you – a girl that was even shorter than Nishinoya who was the shortest among them all.

(e/c) orbs glanced from left to right, meeting everyone’s eyes who flinched when they met your gaze. Your eyes narrowed when they landed on the captains of all five teams who were standing together in the middle, hugging one another.

Their eyes screamed fear, even the usual stoic Ushijima who was trying so hard to hide it.

“(N-nickname)-chan, we’re simply just playing? Right, guys?” Oikawa stuttered, his eyes looking at his teammates for help.

Everyone nodded their heads quickly.

“There, there (name)-chan. I’m sure they didn’t mean to be so rowdy.” Suga placed a hand on your shoulder, a reassured smile on his face.

You turned to face the silver-haired setter, the anger ebbing away at the angelic smile directed at you.

“What if they became rowdy again? Maybe I shouldn’t have invited everyone.” A pout formed on your face.

Yaku approached you, giving you a fond smile. “I know we’re rowdy, but deep down, we’re actually happy to see one another again. We simply just don’t know how to show it since whenever we meet, we’re always fighting.”

“Besides, we’re here to ensure that they’ll be on their best behaviour. So, don’t worry.” Iwaizumi gave you a rare grin, ruffling your (e/c) mops.

Akaashi gave you a small smile while Semi simply nodded. **(a/n: I’m unsure who is the mom of Shiratorizawa :/)**

“You can count on us, so relax and have fun with your friends today, (nickname)-chan.” Suga patted you on the head.

Your lips curled into a giant grin as you hugged Suga, mumbling. “Thank you so much, Suga-senpai. You’ve no idea how grateful I am.”

“I’m your senpai after all.”

You were thankful towards the mom squad. They were the only people on the team who can keep the members in place.

You faced everyone again, a stern look on your face. “I invited everyone here because I wanted to see my friends again and I know that this is probably the only time everyone can gather and have fun without tearing each other throats out like you usually do on a court. So, don’t make me regret this choice.”

Everyone could only nod so that they will come out of this alive. You were scary alone, but having the mom squad backing you up made it ten times more terrifying.

Turning on your heels, you went to help your classmates to set up food for your volleyball friends.

“Remind me to never get on (name)-chan’s bad side again.” Daichi’s voice trembled.

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement.

“Don’t forget that you’ve us too.” came a sing-song voice also known as Suga.

The hairs on their necks stiffened when they hear the threat, knowing that they still must be on guard if they want to make out of this alive.

They weren’t called the mom squad for no reasons.

For the next two hours, you had fun with your volleyball friends and classmates – laughing, smiling, ~~arguing~~ and making new memories.

You were hanging in the back of the class, watching everyone with a fond look. You wished this picture would last forever, but for now, you will simply imprint it into your mind – treasuring it forever.

“You did a good job, munchkin-chan.”

“Yea, I did.” You softly replied Tsukishima, (e/c) orbs lifting to meet golden orbs.

The blond was glancing down at you, a small smile directed at you.

You smiled back.

There was a small distance between the two of you.

The outside world faded as both of you kept staring at one another.

The distance became shorter.

Butterflies danced, hearts were racing.

Tsukishima and you inched closer to one another until there was no space left between the both of you.

No words were needed as Tsukishima put his arm around your waist, pulling you flushed against his side – his arm staying put.

You rest your head against Tsukishima’s chest, his heart pounding steadily in your ear.

The middle blocker leaned his head on yours, the soft scent of your (h/c) locks brushing against his nose.

The two of you stood there, embracing each other’s warmth, watching your friends with a smile that reached the corners of your eyes.

Your volleyball reunion was a huge success and you couldn’t have been happier.

***

(nickname)-chan, Tsukishima-san, your shifts are over. You’re free to go now. So, go and enjoy the rest of the day at the school festival.” Michiko informed the two volleyball players.

You stopped mid-way in picking up an empty place, a surprised look on your face. “Since when? I thought we’re supposed to stay until the café closes?”

“I thought so too, considering we’re the representatives of class 1-4.” Tsukishima frowned.

“Hahaha, nope! You don’t have to! The two of you have worked hard in planning and setting up plus running the café. You deserve a break. Besides, the café can survive without you two.” Michiko explained, taking the clearing tray away from you and took your spot at the table you were originally cleaning.

Tsukishima simply shrugged and went to wash up, removing the apron from around his waist.

However, you remained unmoving, a concerned look on your face. “Are you sure you can handle everything, Mi-chan? I mean you burnt the food earlier on.”

Michiko waved your worries away, replying. “I’ll be fine. Besides, you said yourself that it wasn’t my fault.”

“But- “

“No buts. I’m serious, (nickname)-chan. Go and enjoy yourself. You deserve the rest. By the way, don’t you have a date with a certain blond?”

“W-what?!” You spluttered, your face turning red.

Michiko gave you a mischievous wink. “Don’t think I didn’t notice you giving Tsukishima sideway glances the entire time you’re working.”

Turning around, your back faced your best friend. Blowing the stray hair out of your face, you mumbled. “I hate you, Mi-chan.”

“No, you don’t. You love me. Besides, you’ll thank me later. Now, shoo! I’ve work to do.”

You let out a sigh, shaking your head in disbelief. Making your way to the back of the classroom where your school bag was, you removed the apron and adjusted your uniform.

“Now what?” You muttered, unsure of what to do now that you’re off-duty.

To be honest, you knew what you wanted to do – enjoyed the festival for the rest of the day with a certain volleyball player, but you were just too shy to approach him.

Your doubts were cleared when the person himself appeared next to you, asking with a blunt voice.

“Let’s go. I know you’re looking forward to the festival.”

You lifted a brow, an amused smirk on your face. “Is this how you ask a girl out on a date, string bean?”

Tsukishima face burst into a million shades of red, stuttering. “I-If you aren’t interested, you could’ve said no!”

You burst into laughter as the blond turned his face to the face, refusing to meet your eyes.

You found it endearing the way how he asked you out.

Wiping the tears away, you calmed down, saying. “Come on, Kei-kun. I was just joking. You don’t have to get angry at me.”

“…I just thought that you may want a proper date, unlike the last time when Yui and Kagami-san interrupted us…”

(e/c) orbs softened, your cheeks pinking at his words. You let out a soft chuckle as you approached Tsukishima and stopped when you reached his back.

Turning around, you leaned against the first year – back to back, saying. “I’ll glad to go on this date with you, string bean.”

You didn’t anyone to tell you that there was a small smile on Tsukishima’s face.

_Once a tsundere, always a tsundere._

With that, both of you grabbed your things and bid everyone farewell before leaving the class, hands in hands to enjoy your date at the cultural festival.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello! Sorry, I haven't updated this story in a long ass time. I was busy with school since I'm in the second half of my second semester. I wanna thank all of you for sticking by and waiting patiently for me to upload the next chapter. I have some happy and sad news. The sad news is that this story has only one chapter left and it will be completed. I know, I know many of you will be sad but all great things have to come to an end someday. Hopefully, the happy news will make lift the mood. The love confession is going to take place in the last chapter, so keep an eye on it! I have great plans in store for the last chapter! Until then, I hope you'll look forward to it and I'll see you guys in the next chapter! :)


	27. Part 3: Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is inspired by Kaichou wa maid-sama (Episode 26). For those who haven't watch this episode/anime yet, watch at your own cautious (spoiler alert). For those who have watched this episode already, here's a recap: this episode shows the two main characters from this anime going through a love trial where they did 3 challenges. If they manage to finish this trial under 10 minutes, they win the ultimate prize. 
> 
> Disclaimer: Kaichou wa maid-saa belongs to Hiro Fujiwara. I own nothing. 
> 
> P/S: this chapter will be slightly longer than the other chapters since it's the last chapter. :)

 

(e/c) eyes sparkled with awe as you took in your surroundings. Karasuno High School was filled with an array of colours, bringing life to the school. Lanterns could be seen strung on strings between stalls that sold all sorts of things, from food to games to trinkets.

The air was filled with shouts as students tried to attract customers to their stalls, enticing them with cheap prices. Meanwhile, the school front yard was packed like sardines, people of all ages mingling and enjoying the festive mood.

The scene reminded you of the summer festival that your team visited during the summer. Karasuno had really outdone themselves this year.

You could barely contain your excitement as you hurried to put on your outdoor shoes, tapping your foot impatiently as you wait for Tsukishima to put on his shoes. “Hurry up Kei-kun! I wanna explore before the cultural festival is over!”

The blond fixed you a glare as he stood up after tightening his shoelaces into a double knot. “The festival won’t run away, it’s only three in the afternoon and the festival doesn’t close until six.”

“Whatever.” You stuck out your tongue childishly and left the school building, only to be swept up by the bustling crowd.

(e/c) eyes widened in surprise as you struggled against the people around you. The air was squeezed out of your lungs, being jostled left and right. Sometimes being short really sucked because you couldn’t see anything since people was towering over you.

A hand reached out through the crowd and grasped your wrist tightly, pulling you out of the crowd. The next thing you knew, you were pressed up against a familiar chest – feeling the air returning to your lungs, able to breathe again.

You glanced up, seeing Tsukishima looking down at you with worried eyes, his breath panting. You could feel how fast his heart was beating under your hands that were resting against his chest.

The two of you stayed in this position – lost in each other eyes until someone accidentally bumped into Tsukishima. The middle blocker snapped out of it as he pushed you away, facing the other way.

You blinked your eyes in confusion, not sure of what just happened.

“…I thought I lost you…”

“What? Did you say something, Kei-kun?” You furrowed your brows, failing to catch the volleyball player’s words.

“I didn’t say anything. You must be losing your hearing.” Tsukishima avoided your question.

“Don’t lie to me. I know you said something because last I check; my hearing is perfectly fine.”

The blond narrowed his eyes at you while you gave him a triumphant smirk, knowing that you had him now.

Gritting his teeth, Tsukishima spoke, his voice hinting that he was embarrassed. “I said I thought I lost you since your idiot ass decided to just walk straight into the crowd knowing that you’ll be swept away. Honestly, how are you Karasuno’s volleyball strategist when it’s clear as day you weren’t using your brain just now?”

“I’m chosen as the team’s strategist since I have the most experience, unlike you. if you’ve a problem with me being the team’s strategist, bring your complaints up to Nii-chan or Daichi-senpai. After all, they’re the one who decided this role for me.” You simply shrugged and skipped into the crowd.

Tsukishima’s face turned into a scowl at your words until he noticed that you weren’t next to him again. Golden orbs reflected the first year’s panic as he turned 360 degrees, trying to locate (h/c) hair.

“Dammit, I should just put a leash on her since she keeps running off like that,” Tsukishima muttered under his breath as he trudged through the crowd, a frown on his face.

He finally spotted you at a takoyaki stall and made his way towards you.

You thanked your fellow upperclassman for the takoyaki. Upon turning around, you came face to face with an annoyed Tsukishima.

Holding up the takoyaki as peace offerings, you gave the blond an innocent smile. “Want some? I heard their takoyaki is popular among the visitors.”

Pinching his nose to contain his frustration, Tsukishima let out a sigh. “What am I gonna do with you?”

You lowered your head; the guilt could be heard in your voice. “I’m sorry, Kei-kun. I just wanted to get you takoyaki.”

“Whatever, just stop going off without me. I can’t find you in these crowd due to your short ass.” Tsukishima replied and wrapped his hand around your wrist, pulling you to the side where it was less crowded.

Two pink spots appeared on your cheeks as you let the volleyball player pulled you along, butterflies dancing in your stomach.

“Ya know, you could’ve just said that you’re worried about me.” You muttered shyly.

“…”

Tsukishima didn’t reply as he continued pulling you through the crowd, his red ears giving him away.

Your lips curled into a smile, (e/c) eyes softening with fondness. For the first time, you felt like you really saw Tsukishima. You felt safe and warm by his side.

You’ve never felt this way until you met the blond and you’re happy he’s the first person who made you feel this way.

***

Tsukishima leaned against the wall, tired from going against the crowd. He closed his eyes and sat down, resting his head on his knees.

Meanwhile, you were happily munching on the takoyaki you bought earlier on. You sat next to Tsukishima, enjoying the food when you remembered that the takoyaki was meant for the blond.

You turned to face Tsukishima, only for guilt to consume you when you saw how tired he was. Quietly, you nudged the blond who lifted his head, giving you a tired look. “What?”

Lifting the takoyaki to Tsukishima, you replied. “Takoyaki?”

Seeing the way how you had your head tilted to the side with big, round (e/c) eyes staring up at Tsukishima, the blond didn’t have the heart to say no. With a small smile, he ruffled your hair and accepted the takoyaki.

“Thank you.”

You blushed as you gave him a giant grin. “You’re welcome!”

Turning your focus to the crowd, you hummed happily, watching people chatting and having fun. You waved to a group of your classmates when Tsukishima called out your name.

“Munchkin.”

“Yea?”

“Here.”

Tsukishima was offering you a takoyaki, a small smile on his face. Golden orbs were staring at you with fondness, his cheeks a soft pink.

Your stomach growled, telling you it was hungry. So, you leaned forward and took a bite out of it. As you were munching, you thought to yourself. ‘Is this how a date feels like?’

“How is it?” Tsukishima asked, a curious look on his face.

Your face split into a giant grin, humming. “Yea! Thank you, Kei-kun!”

Despite the loud noises coming from the crowd, none of you was paying attention as both Tsukishima and you sat by the side, enjoying the takoyaki.

People who were passing by had smiles on their faces as they observed the two high school students feeding one another, talking about everything and anything.

They could tell that the students were in love with one another.

Only if they would tell each other, then how much more beautiful will their relationship becomes.

**Time skipped brought to you by Sugamama’s homemade cookies**

“How did we get ourselves into this again?” You questioned, glancing at Tsukishima who had a perplexed look on his face.

Earlier on, the two of you were walking around the school building looking at each class’ activity when you decided to visit your upperclassmen’s class.

“Suga-senpai!”

Suga looked up when he heard his name being called, a surprised look on his face when he saw a familiar (h/c)-nette waving in his direction. Smiling, Suga eagerly pulled you into a hug, greeting both you and Tsukishima.

“(name)-chan! Tsukishima! What are you two doing here? Weren’t you in class earlier on?”

You pulled back with a smile, “Mi-chan let us off early since we did so much for the class. Now, we’re just going around enjoying the festival before the bonfire at night.”

Suga nodded before his eyes lit up with an idea. Grabbing your arm, he dragged you towards his class, Tsukishima trailing behind.

“Slow down there, Suga-senpai! I’m gonna fall!” You laughed.

Suga gave you a sheepish look and apologized for giving you an exciting grin. “You and Tsukishima should try our class’ activity! It’s called the ‘Love Trial’.”

You blinked in confusion. “What?”

“It’s a love trial where we challenge couples to test out the strength of their relationship!” The vice-captain continued.

“B-but Kei-kun and I aren’t a couple!” You protested, red blossoming on your cheeks.

Ignoring you, Suga explained the rule. “The rule is simple: follow the designated course and clear the challenges along the way. You’ll be eliminated if you fail even once! If you manage to succeed, you’ll win food coupons!”

(e/c) eyes lit up at the mention of food coupons and you held onto Suga’s shoulders, shaking him with excitement. “Food coupons?! Yes, I’ll partake! Anything for free food!”

Suga clapped his hands in delight, saying. “Great! One last thing, you mustn’t let go of your partner’s hand during the game. Well then, will you be able to overcome the trials ahead together?”

“Yes! I can!” You fist pumped into the air.

“Well, then that’s settled.”

Meanwhile, Tsukishima was standing in the background, a frown on his face. “Do I not get a say in this?”

However, he was ignored by you who had already paid for the game. Hence, the blond was once again dragged into your shenanigans.

The two of you were standing in front an archway with balloons, the word “Love Trail” painted on it.

Standing around the archway were your upperclassmen from volleyball – Suga, Daichi and some of their classmates. There was a giant smile on the silver-haired setter, a stop-watch in his hand. “Are you guys ready?”

Now that the game is about to start, you were starting to regret your decisions. After the excitement of getting free food died down, you began to really think what you’re about to go through.

Going through a love trial with Tsukishima?! What were you thinking?!

You started to feel dizzy, your face becoming hot, thinking to yourself. _‘Ahhh! Why do my greedy ass have to fall for the food coupons! What if I really fail this love trial and lose my chance with Kei-kun?! Wait, what? I’m doing this for free food and not whether I’ll have a chance with string bean! This is so frustrating!’_

Tsukishima furrowed his brows when he saw you ruffling your hair in frustration, a conflicted look on your face. He let out a sigh and flicked you on the forehead, saying. “At this rate, you’re gonna lose all your hair if you keep pulling on them.”

You clutched your forehead and glared at the blond. “Shut up, string bean!”

“Shall we go?” Tsukishima ignored your glare as he stretched out a hand, a soft smile on his face.

A blush appeared on your face as you looked away, putting your hand into the blond who intertwined his fingers with yours, tightening his hold on you.

“I hate you so much, string bean.” You muttered, your face still turned away.

“I know.” Tsukishima softly replied, his eyes a warm honey.

***

 _‘Why do I feel so embarrassed holding string bean’s hand? This isn’t my first time holding his hand! So, why does it feel so different?!’_ You screamed in your head, your face putting all tomatoes to shame.

“Why the embarrassment? This isn’t like our first time to hold hands.” Tsukishima gave you a teasing smirk, amusement dancing in his eyes.

You glared at the first year, about to retort when Suga cut in. “Are you ready? Your love trial starts now!”

(e/c) eyes widened in shock. You aren’t ready at all!

“What’s wrong? We’ve to clear this within ten minutes. Don’t hinder me, Munchkin.” Tsukishima gave you a sideways glance, his words triggering you.

Irk marks appeared all over your head.

The next you knew, you were being dragged by Tsukishima down the hallway to the venue of the first challenge as you attempted to keep up with his long strides.

“Slow down, string bean! I can’t keep up!” You shouted.

“I thought a libero is supposed to be fast on their feet? Oh wait, that doesn’t apply to you since you’ve short legs.” The blond retorted back, causing your anger level to rise.

“You’re so annoying! I’m gonna prove- “

“We’re here. Please explain the game to us.” Tsukishima cut you off, addressing the person who was in-charge of the first challenge.

You were so busy arguing with Tsukishima that you didn’t even realize you’ve arrived at the first challenge.

However, that didn’t stop you from picking a fight with the blond.

“Oi, don’t ignore me string bean!” You exclaimed, waving your joint hands with Tsukishima around.

Tsukishima continued to ignore you as the student guided the both of you to a table, another student serving a large serving of omurice (1). Both you and Tsukishima stared at the omurice, completely dumbfounded.

“Finish this serving of omurice within five minutes and you’ll pass. However, only one of you’ll be doing the eating.” The student explained, a too bright grin on her face.

It’s impossible to finish such a large serving of omurice within five minutes!

Nonetheless, you weren’t one to back down when given a challenge.

“Let’s decide who shall do the eating with rock, paper, scissors.” You held out your hand, determination shining in your eyes.

“Why, you’re afraid you can’t finish everything? With that bottomless stomach of yours, I assume you’ll be able to eat more than one serving.” Tsukishima retorted back.

Anger burned in your eyes as you replied. “Are you trying to say that I’m a greedy ass?!”

“I didn’t say anything, you’re the one who said it yourself.”

The student watched with a perplexed look. “Shouldn’t the guy be the one eating?”

In the end, you lost to Tsukishima.

You took the spoon, only to realize that you’ve to eat with your (non-dominant) hand.  Turning to the student, you asked. “Can I let go of his hand?”

“You’ll be disqualified.”

You let out a sigh. ‘Guess I’ll have to eat with my (non-dominant) hand then.’

That was the plan until Tsukishima took the spoon away from you. “This is where I come in. I’ll feed you, so enjoy the food.”

Your face burst into a shade of red.

“What’s wrong? You had no problem when I fed you the takoyaki earlier on.” Tsukishima gave you a teasing smirk.

“That was different! We didn’t have so many people watching us!” You protested, trying to take back the spoon.

Tsukishima faced the student. “We’re ready.”

The time start and Tsukishima scooped a spoonful of rice, bringing it up to your mouth. “Say ‘ah’~.”

“I hate you so much.” You muttered before opening your mouth and took a bite.

Only for Tsukishima to move the spoon away from you and began to taunt you. “Come on Munchkin-chan. We won’t be able to finish it within five minutes if you’re so slow.”

Your eyes twitched in anger, having enough of Tsukishima and his teasing. Taking your free hand, you punched the blond in the shoulders – hard.

Tsukishima scowled at you, golden orbs narrowed in irritation.

“Don’t give me that look when you’re the one who started it first.” (e/c) orbs glaring at the middle blocker.

“Tch. We won’t have been in this mess if not for your greedy ass.”

“Hey! When it comes to free food, you’ve to grab it!”

“Cheapskate!”

“It’s call ‘saving money’ dumbass!”

The students in charge of this challenge sweat-dropped at the sight of the squabbling couple in front of them, unsure of what to do. This was their first time seeing a couple arguing so intensely.

Despite arguing back and forth non-stop, the both of you were able to finish the large serving of omurice within the given time frame.

“Congratulations on completing the first challenge! There are two more challenges waiting for you! Good luck!” The student wished the two of you good luck.

However, both you and Tsukishima were too far away to hear her, making your way to the next challenge – arguing all the way.

**Time skipped brought to you by Kageyama’s secret crush on Hinata**

Soon, both of you arrived at the next challenge which happens to be Asahi’s class.

“Asahi-senpai? Your class is part of the love trial?” You questioned the ace, surprise evident in your voice.

Asahi rubbed his neck sheepishly, replying. “Yea, all of the third-year students decided to organize an activity together since it’s our last cultural festival before we graduate.”

“That explains why the previous challenge we did was run by third-year students.”

“Stop talking munchkin. Have you forgotten we only have ten minutes to complete this trial if you wanna get your food coupons.” Tsukishima reminded.

You mentally slapped yourself for being so forgetful.

You gave your upperclassman an apologizing look. “Sorry Asahi-senpai, we’ll have to talk later. Kei-kun and I are on a limited time. Can you please explain to us the challenge?”

“You don’t have to apologize, (name)-chan.” Asahi gave you a smile small, before explaining the challenge that you’ll have to pass next. “Your next challenge is to use a pair of chopsticks to transfer all the marbles from the bowl to the plate within 3 minutes.”

You simply blinked.

Tsukishima rolled his eyes when he saw the confused look on your face. “I'm not surprised that you can’t even understand such simple instructions.”

Anger replaced confusion as you glared at the blond. “How dare you! I do understand the instruction! I’m just confused as for how does one picks up marbles with chopsticks considering it’s a rounded object! I’m not that dumb!”

By this time, a crowd has started to gather outside the classroom – curious to find out more about the couple who had been arguing since the beginning of their love trial.

However, the two of you were ignorant of the crowd while Asahi began to panic when his classmates gave him annoyed looks.

He decided to break up the fight.

“G-guys, you only have five minutes left and you still have more challenges to complete.” The spiker reminded his underclassmen.

Tsukishima glared at you before facing Asahi. “Sorry about that Asahi-senpai. It can’t help that a certain someone refuse to shut her mouth.”

“Hey! You’re just as equally as noisy as me!”

“Please start the timing.” Tsukishima ignored you, picking up the chopsticks.

You fumed in anger, calling Tsukishima all sort of names under your breath.

Meanwhile, the blond has no problem with the challenge, completing it within one minute.

Your jaw was wide open at how fast Tsukishima was.

Asahi lift his brow, impressed by the middle blocker’s steady hand. “Wow, you manage to finish within one minute. That’s the fastest record so far.”

Your lips curled into a giant grin as you tackled Tsukishima into a hug, awe shining in your eyes. “How did you do that?! You were amazing string bean!”

Tsukishima’s face burst into a million shades of red, embarrassed at the attention they were gaining.

“Shut up! You’re being too loud!” Tsukishima hissed, pushing you off him.

“Is this how you thank someone for complimenting you?” You whined.

“You’re such an annoyance.” The blond replied.

“So, what? You love me either way, annoyance and all.” You teasingly said.

“…”

“Awww! Is someone embarrassed?”

“Shut up or else I’ll throw you in the trash!”

“We’ll be disqualified if you let out of my hand now.”

“…”

You simply laughed as Tsukishima dragged you away to the destination of the last challenge, wanting to get this over and done with so that he could finally have some peace.

Turning around, you waved your free hand in the air, shouting. “Bye-bye, Asahi-senpai!”

“Shut up! You’re being a public nuisance!”

“No one asks for your opinion, string bean.”

Asahi let out a chuckle as he watched his teammates argued endlessly.

_‘They’re perfect for each other.’_

***

“Welcome to the balloon quiz! First, find a balloon marked with the word ‘Lucky’. Then burst it and answer the questions on the paper that’s inside it. You’ve five minutes. Good luck!”

You noticed the crowd that has started to gather outside the classroom as Tsukishima headed for the pit of balloons.

“We’re attracting quite a lot of attention.” You commented.

“That’s because you won’t shut your mouth, instead arguing at every little detail,” Tsukishima replied.

You lightly punched the blond upon hearing his words. Tsukishima glared at you as he rubbed his arm.

Being the childish person that you were, you stuck your tongue out before beginning your search for the balloon with the word “Lucky” on it.

Tsukishima watched as you searched through the pit, mumbling whenever you found a wrong balloon. The sight of you digging through the pit with excitement reminded him of a child playing in a ball pit.

It caused his heart to race.

“Nope, this isn’t the right one…” You mumbled before letting out a victory cry when you found the right balloon.

You picked up the balloon and faced Tsukishima, showing him the balloon with an excited smile. “Kei-kun, look! I found it already…”

Only to trail off when you saw the look on the blond’s face.

There was adoration shining in his eyes, making them a warm honey.

For a moment, you forgot to breathe.

You shook your head to get rid of the warm feeling you were feeling. Ignoring the butterflies dancing in your stomach, you mumbled with a red face. “Why are you spacing out? We have a time limit, you know…”

“Indeed.”

(e/c) eyes widened in surprise as Tsukishima grabbed you by the shoulder with his free hand, pulling you towards him.

You swore your heart skipped a beat.

“Let’s burst it.”

“Huh?”

Tsukishima pulled you even closer, popping the balloon – revealing a card with a red heart on the front.

“Holy crap! That scared me! Don’t you ever do that again!” You complained, lips curled into a scowl.

Tsukishima simply chuckled, his cheeks dusted a light pink.

You can’t help but blush at the happy look on the blond’s face, knowing how rare Tsukishima showed such emotions around you. 

_Stupid string bean, smiling like that out of the blue. Even so, I’m glad I’m the one who made you happy._

**Time skipped sponsored by Tsukki’s salty fries (while stocks last!)**

“Congratulations on completing the love trial! Here are the food coupons that you’ve won.” Suga held out the food coupons, a smile on his face.

Your eyes sparkled with delight as you accepted the prize from Suga, thanking him before running to show Daichi your prize.

“Daichi-senpai, look, look! I won food coupons!”

Tsukishima watched with a fond smile as Daichi ruffled your hair, chuckling at your excitement.

“I assume you had fun with (nickname)-chan?” A voice came from the blond’s left.

Tsukishima looked to his left where Suga was standing, his attention focused on the sight of his captain and underclassman laughing.

“Fun? It felt more like I was looking after a kid.” Tsukishima scoffed, yet a smile remained on his face. 

“Your face says otherwise.” Suga chuckled, knowing that the first year did have fun.

Tsukishima didn’t reply, his eyes focusing on you. The silver-haired setter glanced up at his underclassman, a thoughtful look on his face.

The blond felt eyes staring at him. Turning his attention to Suga, a confused look on his face. “Why are you staring so intensely at me, senpai?”

A mischievous smile appeared on Suga’s face as he replied. “You love her, don’t you?”

Tsukishima froze at the setter’s question, his face slowing becoming red.

“Tsukishima, are you alright?” Suga asked, worried about the frozen boy.

The middle blocker snapped out of it, stammering. “W-Who will fall for a girl who is so loud and annoying?!”

Suga simply lifted a brow.

Tsukishima let out a defeated sigh, knowing that it was fruitless to argue with his senior.

A gentle smile appeared on Suga’s face as he saw the conflicted look on the first year’s face. Placing a comforting hand on Tsukishima’s shoulder, saying. “It’s alright if you don’t want to answer me. After all, anyone who knows you well knows that you love her. I just want you to know that whatever you do, you’ve my support.”

 “Thank you, Suga-senpai. I really needed to hear that.”

Tsukishima was grateful that he had such supportive and understanding seniors.

Suga gave the blond an encouraging smile. “All the best.”

The blond gave Suga a grateful smile before calling out to you.

“Come on Munchkin, we should leave. Daichi-senpai needs to get back to work. The festival’s about to end.”

You gave Daichi and Suga a big smile, as you waved goodbye before making your way over to Tsukishima.

Holding up the food coupons you and Tsukishima won earlier on, you gave the blond a smile. “Shall we go and enjoy some free food before the bonfire?”

“You’re just hungry, aren’t you?” Tsukishima lifted a brow.

“So, what?” You fired back. “I deserve to eat after having to put up with you for so long.”

“I should be the one saying that instead.”

You stuck your tongue out in retaliation.

Tsukishima let out a sigh, too tired to argue with you and walked off.

Your eyes widened as you stumbled, trying to catch up. “Don’t just walk off without me!”

The first year stopped in his tracks and faced you, holding out a hand. “Don’t blame me. It’s your own fault for having such short legs.”

You ran up towards Tsukishima and slipped your hand into his, tightening your hold. “Stupid string bean! It’s isn’t my fault either for having such short legs.”

“Your brother has long legs.”

“Ah! It’s different alright!”

The two of you argued all the way to the food stalls, neither of you letting go of each other’s hand.

***

“Thank you for visiting Karasuno’s High! We hope that you had a great day and enjoyed yourself! We’ll see you next year!”

The sun was starting to set, painting the sky a hue of pink and purple. People were heading for the school gate, making their ways back home to rest after a long day of walking around and having fun.

Students could be seen packing up the stalls as they got ready for the bonfire that was usually held for the students after the cultural festival.

It was time for Karasuno’s students to unwind and have fun after a long day of hard work.

You were no exception.

“(nickname)-chan! Thanks to you, our café was a success!” Michiko exclaimed as both of you made your way down to the schoolyard where the bonfire was held after cleaning up the class.

You shook your head as you replied. “Nope! This is a team effort which means it’s all thanks to class 1-4 that the café was a success.”

“Alright, whatever you say then.”

You were reaching the front door when Michiko spoke up. “(nickname)-chan! We should head to the school roof instead of the schoolyard.”

You tilted your head to the side, a confused look on your face. “Why? Isn’t it will be nearer to view the bonfire from the schoolyard instead of the roof?”

“That’ll be the case if there aren’t any fireworks later. Since there is gonna be a firework show, won’t it be better if we view it from the roof?” Michiko asked.

Your eyes lit up with realization. Grabbing Michiko’s by the hand, you headed for the roof, pulling her along. “What’re you waiting for? Let’s go!”

“Slow down, you’re gonna make me fall!”

The both of you finally reached the roof when suddenly Michiko remembered she forgot something. “Ah! I left my phone in class. Wait here for me, I’ll be right back!”

“But Mi-chan!” You protested.

However, she had already left.

Shrugging, you opened the door and entered the roof.

A gentle breeze blew through your (h/c) locks, ruffling your uniform. You closed your eyes as you enjoyed the peace and quiet up here on the roof.

“Munchkin? What’re you doing up here?”

You opened your eyes when you heard Tsukishima’s voice, seeing a look of surprise on his face.

Furrowing your brows, you replied. “Mi-chan told me that there’ll be fireworks later and the roof has the best view. She should be coming back soon though. What’re you doing here?”

“Michiko-san told me that you’re trapped on the roof and needed rescuing,” Tsukishima explained.

Realization dawned on you when you realized what your friend was up to.

‘Oh, I’m so gonna kill you once I get my hands on you, Mi-chan!’

That girl is so dead!

You walked towards the roof entrance, pulling on the door handle only to realize that it’s locked!

You kept tugging on the handles, in hope that it will somehow magically open.

“At this rate, you’re gonna damage school property.”

Turning around, you saw Tsukishim leaning against the railings – his body leaning slightly forward as he observed the activity going on below.

“How can you be so calm about?! We’re stuck on the roof for goodness sake!” You exclaimed, feeling annoyed seeing the calm look on the blond’s face.

“There’s no point in trying considering Michiko-san’ll be at the schoolyard by now, enjoying the bonfire.”

You let out a defeated, knowing that Tsukishima was right. So, you made your way towards the railings and stood next to him.

A comfortable silence settled between the two of you as you observed your schoolmates enjoying the bonfire. Some were running around playing while the rest were sitting, talking as they wait for the firework show.

You squint your eyes when you noticed a group of familiar students gathering near the big tree in the schoolyard. Only to notice that it was Karasuno’s boys’ volleyball team.

“Ne, Kei-kun look, it’s our teammates.” You pointed in the direction of your friends.

“I bet they’re probably wondering where we are,” Tsukishima replied.

You watched your team with a soft smile. As usual, Tanaka and Nishinoya were trying to gain Kiyoko’s attention who ignored them, giggling with Yachi. Meanwhile, Hinata and Kageyama looked like they were arguing about something while Yamaguchi tried to break them up.

Most likely they were arguing which bun tasted the best.

Daichi, Suga and Asahi were watching their underclassmen with pride and adoration, committing this memory to heart since it will be their last time where they could enjoy themselves with their teammates before they graduate next spring.

Ennoshita, Narita and Kinoshita were talking amongst themselves, laughing. Even your brother and Takeda-sensei were there to enjoy the bonfire with their students.

You were so lucky to have made such wonderful friends here at Karasuno.

Most of all, you were lucky enough to have met Tsukishima – the one person you never expected to become the closest with.

Turning your head to face Tsukishima, you observed the blond whose eyes were closed, enjoying the cool breeze.

As you took in his features, the memories you had with Tsukishima surfaced to mind.

You remembered the first time you met him.

“Whatever you’re doing is rather creepy, is this how you greet people when you first meet them, Munchkin?”

“What did you just call me? I have a name you know!”

That was the day where you nearly scratched out his eyeballs. What a lovely way to start a friendship.

As weeks past, your relationship with Tsukishima didn’t improve as you two fought every day, teasing and playing pranks on each other.

However, after the incident in the club room where you hid after running off with Tsukishima’s headphone, your relationship with him took a turn.

The two of you became friends, but that doesn’t mean the teasing stopped.

Things remained this way until the day where Karasuno lost to Aoba Johsai at the Interhigh. You were planning to quit the team as the assistant manager until Tsukishima changed your mind,

It was your first time seeing that Tsukishima wasn’t as cold as you thought him to be.

As you became closer to him, you began to feel confused about your feelings towards him. You weren’t sure if you like him as more than a friend or not.

That changed on the night of the summer festival where Tsukishima and you made a promise to each other – to stay by each other’s side forever.

You realized that you’ve fallen for Tsukishima Kei.

Despite being in love with the middle blocker, the way how you treated him stayed the same, except for those few occasions where it was just you and him against the world.

Those were the times where you felt like you’ve fallen in love with him all over again.

Your friendship with him wasn’t all rainbow and sunshine. You guys had your ups and downs, but it was never that bad until one night at the volleyball camp in Tokyo.

You’ve never felt so cold and lonely before. You missed Tsukishima’s warmth.

However, you guys made up and became even closer than before.

The person you thought you hated, in the beginning, has now become the person who you hold closest to your heart.

You couldn’t help but teared up as you reminisced the memories you had created with Tsukishima Kei.

Despite the tears that rolled down your face, there was a smile present on your face.

_‘I never thought you’ll become the closest person to me, string bean.'_

***

Tsukishima was enjoying the peace and quiet, away from the crowd below when he heard sniffling coming from next to him.

Opening his eyes, he was surprised that you were crying, tears rolling you’re your cheeks.

Yet, your lips were curled into a smile.

Taking a step closer towards you, he hesitantly reached out a hand – stopping a couple inches away from your face. When he wasn’t met with any objections, Tsukishima closed the distance.

“What’re you crying about, you idiot,” Tsukishima mumbled, gently wiping away the tears.

You leaned into his hand and your eyes fluttered shut, your voice a soft lullaby. “Nothing. I was just thinking about the time you made fun of me.”

Tsukishima rolled his eyes, knowing that wasn’t the truth. “You can’t lie to me, munchkin. I know you better than you know yourself.”

You opened your eyes, (e/c) looking into gold.

“You caught me. I was thinking about how lucky I was having met such wonderful people, especially you. Before I know it, the memories I had with you came flooding.”

“That isn’t an excuse for you to cry,” Tsukishima mumbled, turning his body away from you, not wanting you to see the effects your words had on him. 

Despite that, his red ears gave him away.

You giggled, making his body faced you. His head was still turned away from you.

Standing on tippy toes, you placed your hands on the side of his face and turned his head towards you. “Look at me, Kei.”

Golden eyes widened when Tsukishima heard you addressed his first name with the honorific. “You forgot to add the ‘kun’.”

Rolling your eyes, you answered sarcastically as you released your hold on him. “I’m pretty sure we’re at the stage into our friendship where honorific isn’t necessary anymore.”

“…What if I want to be more than just friends…”

You thought you heard Tsukishima said something, but you weren’t sure, so you asked him to repeat. “Did you say something?”

Tsukishima froze at your question, unsure of what to say.

You furrowed your brows, flicking his forehead. “Did you hear what I say?”

Tsukishima snapped out of it as he hit your hand away, giving you a glare. “Was that really necessary?”

“I wanted to see if your brain was functioning.” You shrugged.

“Of all girls available, why do you’ve to be the one I fall for?” Tsukishima mumbled.

Now it was your turn to freezing at his answers.

Did you hear wrongly or did Tsukishima basically just unknowingly confess to you?

Your face began to turn red as your heart rate spiked, a zoo rampaging in your stomach as Tsukishima’s words float around in your head.

The blond looked up, only to frown when he saw how red your face was. “Are you alright? Your face looks like a baboon’s butt.”

Your face remained red as you glared at Tsukishima. “Whose fault do you think it was that my face represents a baboon’s butt as you so kindly put it?”

Tsukishima furrowed his brows in confusion, not understanding what you meant until he remembered what he said.

Wait, does this mean you heard him?!

Soon, his face represents a baboon’s butt as Tsukishima tried to form coherent sentences. “Y-you…h-heard what I said?!”

You crossed your arms, an offended look on your face. “What’s wrong with falling in love with me? I’m so awesome!”

Tsukishima could only blink as you went on. “If you’re gonna say that about me, then I should say the same about you too!”

“I-I don’t understand.”

“Out of millions of guys on this earth, you just have to be the one that I fall for. I don’t even know why my heart chose you when all you do is irritate the hell out of me!”

“What?”

You blinked.

Silence fell between both of you, staring at one another as both your faces turned redder.

The next Tsukishima knows you had pushed him away as you dropped to the ground, hiding your red face.

Tsukishima could barely contain the joy that he was feeling. His heart was leaping at the fact that you returned his feelings, butterflies dancing in his stomach.

His gaze landed on you, your back facing him.

Tsukishima’s face softened as he knelt in front of you, placing his hand underneath and lifting your face. “If it makes you feel better, my heart decided to choose the loudest and irritating girl who never fails to be a pain in my ass.”

“That’s so not romantic at all.” You mumbled, your face still red.

Rolling his eyes, Tsukishima replied. “Fine, if you want me to be romantic, I’ll be romantic. The reason why I fell for you is that of your kindness and confidence. You always show kindness to those around you, be it helping Yamaguchi with his serve or reassuring chibi-chan. At the same time, you’re also confident of yourself. You never let others’ harsh words bring you down. Overall, I fell in love with you – Ukai (Name), the most annoying and infuriating person I’ve met.”

You were at loss for words.

As seconds passed, you noticed the fear in Tsukishima’s eyes even though his gaze was fixed on you the entire time. You realized that he was afraid of rejection despite he seemed confident pouring out his feelings to you.

You knew what you had to do.

Tsukishima became nervous as time passes when you didn’t say anything. He was afraid that he had might a mistake, but it was too late now. Once you said something, you can never take it back.

However, what you do next surprise him.

Your gaze was filled with love, a soft smile on your face. “You know, you’re such an idiot to think that I’ll reject you after I practically just told you my feelings towards you.”

Tsukishima let out a chuckle, his hand caressing your face, his cheeks dusted a light pink. “I guess you’re right then.”

“Hah, you finally admitted that I’m right.” You murmured, lifting your hand to touch his hand that was caressing your face.

Tsukishima leaned closer until that was no more distance between the two of you.

Cheers could be heard coming from below as the fireworks went off, lighting up the sky in sorts of colours.

However, neither of you paid any attention as both your lips finally came in contact. Your eyes fluttered shut, tiptoeing slightly.

The kiss was simple, yet it fills you with so much warmth that you never want to stop.

Tsukishima pulled away and rested his forehead on yours, gold meeting (e/c). “I love you, (Name).”

He finally called you by your first name.

A scowl appeared on your face, your cheeks a light pink. “I hate you, string bean.”

“I know, you don’t have to tell me that.” Tsukishima chuckled before kissing you again.

***

_Everything about Tsukishima Kei makes Ukai (Name) hates him, especially his mean and narcissistic personality which ticks her off the most._

_At the same time, Tsukishima isn’t a huge fan of (Name) either._

_They hate each other so much that being in the same room together could set off WW3. (Name) is certain that never in a million years will she ever like Tsukishima, or so she thinks. What (name) did not expect, of course, was to fall in love with him of all people, especially with him being her first love._

_Neither did Tsukishima._

_Sometimes fate works in the funniest way when we least expect it._

_Maybe, it isn’t even the work of fate._

_Instead, it was just two people coming together who simply met for the first time and fell in love with each other._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovely readers of mine, 
> 
> We've finally come to an end to this story! *throws confetti everywhere* 
> 
> This is my first very completed story ever since I discovered my love for writing. I started this story on 5th April 2017 and completed it on 27th January 2018. I had fun writing this story for the last 10 months, bringing the characters to life in a different way. The reason why I started this story is because I love Haikyuu and it became one of my most favorite anime ever. I choose Tsukishima as he is my favorite character from Haikyuu. I was drawn to his tsundere attitude.
> 
> Even though I put in a lot of hard working into writing this story, I couldn't have done it without my lovely and awesome readers. You guys were the one who kept me going, encouraging and supporting me. Every time I upload a new chapter, I always refreshed the page over and over again so I could read your comments. Your comments have made me laugh and smile as well as learn new things. Your comments never failed to make me impressed. Like seriously guys. Some of the things you guys say is out of this world. 
> 
> So, I'm dedicating this "thank you" note to all my readers out there who shared, voted and commented on Hatsukoi. Thank you for giving so much love and support to this story, I really appreciated it a lot. The saying goes to my other stories as well. I know the updates can take quite long as I can be lazy busy sometimes, being a student and all. I'm really thankful for your patience and understanding. 
> 
> I really couldn't thank all of you enough. 
> 
> Although this story may have been completed, that doesn't mean this is the end. No, I won't be writing a sequel because I feel that ending the story here is the way to go. Don't be so quick to be upset! The good news is that I'll be uploading one shots once in a while for like Valentine's Day, April's Fool and so on (special occasions). I'm sure many of you will like to see how reader-chan and Tsukishima will be like in a relationship. So, keep an eye out for this special one shots!
> 
> All in all, thank you for sticking by me and this story for the last 10 months. I wish I can give you all hugs in reality, but that will be kinda hard. So, instead have a virtual hug! *hugs* Thank you for everything and I love each and one of you. Until then, I'll see all of you in my next story!
> 
> Love,
> 
> Rainbend

**Author's Note:**

> Haikyuu rightfully belongs to Haruichi Furudate. I owe nothing except for the story.


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